Essiedu delivers an astonishing performance-one fully cognizant of the fact that viewers may be seeing sexual violence between men depicted on screen for the first time.Įssiedu, 30, has appeared in other television and film projects, like Gangs of London and Murder on the Orient Express, though it’s theater where he first skyrocketed to fame.
Kwame i may destroy you series#
In a series centered on Arabella’s excavation of the night she was drugged and raped, Kwame’s experience of sexual trauma provides a compelling counterpoint, with the series nimbly exploring how men and women are often treated differently in the wake of sexual assault. Kwame’s journey through sexual trauma is deft and devastating, each moment sensitively rendered by Essiedu, who shades in Kwame’s story with deep feeling not just in what he says, but in the yawning chasm of what remains unsaid. The episode ends with Kwame in tears on a London curb, calling his friend Arabella (Michaela Coel) to wish her goodnight, yet saying nothing of what just transpired. The camera remains tight on Kwame’s frightened, horrified face throughout-a gutting portrait of a light within him extinguishing in real time. Yet the afterglow takes a dark turn when Kwame makes to leave, with Malik blocking the door, pinning him to the bed by the wrists, and proceeding to rape him. Malik rolls on a condom, and the two fall into bed. One person tweeted, "I May Destroy You, will destroy me, every week for the next 9 episodes." While another viewer wrote, "If you get a chance, watch 'I May Destroy You.' Side note, it's a bit uncomfortable, but it addresses important issues, so just watch it.The 20 Best HBO Documentaries of All Time The traumatic scene devastated viewers, as many took to Twitter to share how hard to watch the show is, yet how important it is to watch as well. Trigger warning- what you see next may be hard to watch.
And Monday night's episode continued to create buzz on social media, after Arabella's friend Kwame became the next person to fall victim to rape. "I May Destroy You," written by and starring Michaela Cole, has been praised for its realistic portrayal of sexual assault and the aftermath, since debuting on HBO earlier this month. KWAME: Yo, yo, nah, we're not having sex again. However, despite how tough the show is to take in, the reality of its portrayal is exactly why the show is pushing boundaries and continues to be one of the most talked about new shows on HBO. A feeling that was, sadly, triggering for some viewers.
The episode ended with Kwame, in tears, calling Arabella to say goodnight, but holding back from sharing anything that had transpired. The traumatic scene devastated viewers, as many took to Twitter to share how "hard to watch" the show is, yet "how important it is" to watch as well. However, as Kwame is getting dressed to leave, Malik pushes Kwame back down and forces himself on Kwame, with his hands held down, as he proceeds to rape him. Kwame, portrayed by actor Paapa Essiedu, goes to a stranger named Malik's apartment for a random hookup and, after refusing to have unprotected sex, the two continue. A plot point that many saw as both unexpected and triggering. The fourth episode, titled "That Was Fun," had many viewers taking to social media following the final moments of the show as Arabella's friend Kwame became the next character to fall victim to rape.
Since premiering earlier this month, HBO's new show I May Destroy You, written by and starring Michaela Coel, has been praised for its realistic portrayal of sexual assault and the aftermath, and Monday night's episode was no exception.
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