Tiny Pretty Things

Bibliographic Information:

• Title: Tiny Pretty Things
• Network: Netflix
• Creator: Michael MacLennan
• Release Date: December 14, 2020
• Seasons/Episodes: 1 season, 10 episodes

Genre: Drama, Mystery, Thriller

Format: TV Series

Rating/Interest Level: Rating- TV-MA, Recommended for ages 16 and up (Commonsensemedia.org, 2020)

Awards: None at this time.

Quality of Media: Tiny Pretty Things is a TV series created by Netflix. The quality of the acting is mediocre. The dancing is excellent. The cinematography helps enhance the show. The scenes of Chicago and of the dancing help make the show. The background music, sound quality, and special effects are excellent.

Plot- First Episode: Tiny Pretty Things opens with Cassie, a star ballerina, being pushed off of the roof of a building by a hooded figure. It quickly segues to Niveah, a ballet student at a different school, being told by her instructor that “Chicago wants her.” Niveah had been recruited as Cassie’s replacement at the Archer School of Ballet, an elite and prestigious school in Chicago that feeds into City Works Ballet. Niveah arrives and is greeted by the school director, Madame DuBois. Dubois is confident that Niveah can take Cassie’s place. Niveah is shown around and introduced to the other students and instructors, and quickly realizes that not everything is as perfect as it seems. The other students mock her and make her feel that she does not belong. They view her as competition. Meanwhile, Officer Cruz, who is investigating Cassie’s fall, is convinced that Cassie was pushed, and that it was intentional, not an accident. The episode concludes with a visit to Cassie’s hospital room, where we learn that Cassie is in a coma but is still alive.

Reaction/Interest: Reviews of Tiny Pretty Things by teens are mixed. On Commonsensemedia.org, they range from 1 to 5 stars. Objections to the series are inappropriate content (too much nudity and sex), too dark, trashy, too intense, some disturbing scenes, and it is not true to the book. Favorable reviews are great suspense, good murder mystery, great plot, and great dancing scenes. One critic described Tiny Pretty Things as “a mess. It’s Black Swan meets Pretty Little Liars” (Abdulbaki, 2020). Rotten Tomatoes has ratings from critics at 53% and audience at 51% (Rotten Tomatoes, 2020).

Critical Evaluation: Tiny Pretty Things is a dark, TV series drama with mystery and suspense. The acting is mediocre but the dancing is excellent. There is sex, violence, swearing, nudity, a teacher having sex with a pupil, eating disorders, bullying, abuse, murder, prostitution, drug abuse, homophobia, police brutality, and anti-police sentiments. The plot is suspenseful and has many twists and the characters are well developed but not likable. The ballet scenes are engaging and one of the redeeming qualities of the series. The series received mixed reviews and I understand why. Most parent reviews objected to the sex and nudity, while teen reviews were more favorable. Having said all of this, I could not stop watching this show and binged the entire season. I would not recommend Tiny Pretty Things to adults, but feel that there is something about it that older teens would enjoy.

Speed-Round TV Talk: “If a ballerina falls hard nobody’s there to catch her, does she still make a sound?” This is the opening of the new Netflix series, Tiny Pretty Things. If you’re into dark dramas, mystery, thrillers, and the world of ballet, this show is for you! Not for the faint of heart!!

Creative Use for a Library Program: For a library program, I would have the teens watch the first episode, along with some short videos of professional ballet programs. I would have a professional dancer come and discuss some of the common issues with dancers that are present in the TV series, such as eating disorders, drug use, self-esteem, body image, pressure, and managing expectations.

Potential Challenge Issues and Defense: There are so may potential challenges and issues with Tiny Pretty Things, as listed in the Critical Review. Most parents feel that this show is not for kids, including teens (Common Sense Media, 2021). The most common objections are to the sex scenes, especially the scenes with teacher/student sex. Most teens feel that the series is appropriate for ages 16 and up.

Reason for Inclusion: I included Tiny Pretty Things even though it got mixed reviews because there is something about it that made me keep watching it. It is very dark and suspensful. Teens who like this genre will enjoy this show.

References:

Abdulbaki, M. (2020, December 26). Stream it or nah: ‘Tiny Pretty Things’ is a disaster. Pajiba.com. Retrieved from https://www.pajiba.com/tv_reviews/stream-it-or-nah-tiny-pretty-things-is-a-disaster.php

Common Sense Media. (2020). Tiny Pretty Things. Retrieved from https://www.commonsensemedia.org/search/tiny%20pretty%20things

Netflix. (2020, November 16). Tiny Pretty Things official trailer. . Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSs_bznLjPo&ab_channel=Netflix

Rotten Tomatoes. (2020). Tiny Pretty Things. Retrieved from https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/tiny_pretty_things