‘Russian Doll’ Trailer: Natasha Lyonne Gets Her Own ‘Groundhog Day’ With A Lethally Clumsy Twist
Groundhog Dayis the cornerstone of movies that repeat a certain event over and over again. Movies likeSource Code, Edge of Tomorrow, Happy Death Dayand more have run with the formula and put fun twists on it. But we’ve rarely seen that formula applied to an entire series (ABC’s canceledDay Breakcomes to mind), and now it’s Netflix’s turn to take a crack at reliving the say day over and over again.Russian Dollis a new Netflix comedy series co-created byOrange is the New BlackstarNatasha Lyonne,Sleeping with Other PeopledirectorLeslye Headland, andParks and Recreationproducer and starAmy Poehler. It finds Natasha Lyonne as a young woman named Nadia who suddenly finds herself reliving the same night whenever she dies, which happens more often than you’d think because she seems to be kind of a klutz.
Watch theRussian Dolltrailer below.
Russian Doll Trailer
Netflix cleverly uses the reset premise ofRussian Dollto start the trailer over a few times and set the stage for the dark comedy at the center of the series. What helps this series stand out from the usualGroundhog Dayapproach is the unique production design and costume design, which makes the series feel like it takes place in the 1970s even though it’s unfolding in present day.
Another interesting twist, at least from what the trailer implies, is that Nadia appears to meet someone else who seems to be dealing with the same problem she is. That could make for an interesting twist, something that’s also coming up in the sequelHappy Death Day 2U. Could it be that everyone in this world is living a loop of the same day and they’re all just living as long as they can before resetting? That sounds like aTwilight Zoneepisode to me, and it could make for a clever twist on a familiar premise.
In addition to Natasha Lyonne in the lead, the rest of the cast includesGreta Lee(KTown),Yul Vazquez(Captain Phillips),Elizabeth Ashley(Ocean’s 8) andCharlie Bennett(Chicago Fire). There are also some solid guests stars likeChloë Sevigny(Lizzie),Dascha Polanco(Orange is the New Black),Brendan Sexton III(Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri),Rebecca Henderson(Appropriate Behavior),Jeremy Bobb(The Knick),Ritesh Rajan(Stitchers) andJocelyn Bioh(School Girls).
Russian Dolldebuts on Netflix starting onFebruary 1, 2019, the day before Groundhog Day.
