REVIEW: Hulu’s The Act is a Twisted Tale from Start to Finish

Hulu premieres its new anthology series, The Act, tomorrow, March 20. The 10-episode debut season tells the story of Gypsy Rose Blanchard (Joey King) and her mother, Dee Dee (Patricia Arquette). Gypsy is a teenage girl who has spent her whole life wheelchair bound, eating through a tube and requiring round the clock care. Cared for 24/7 by her mother, Gypsy wishes to be a normal girl like her neighbor, Lacey (AnnaSophia Robb). Gypsy soons begins to suspect she may not be as ill as she thought and starts to wonder if her mother is keeping her sick for her own benefit.

The season is based on the true crime Buzzfeed article, “Dee Dee Wanted Her Daughter to Be Sick, Gypsy Wanted Her Mom Murdered”. The article was an in depth look at the relationship between mother and daughter and the belief that Dee Dee suffered from Munchausen by Proxy. Munchausen by Proxy is a mental health disease where a caregiver, in this case Dee Dee, makes up or causes illness in their patient (Gypsy Rose) for attention. Because of this disease, Dee Dee did everything in her power to keep Gypsy sick and needing medical care. When Gypsy begins to realize she may not actually be sick, she turns to her online boyfriend for help to get away from her controlling mother.

Joey King as Gypsy Rose was the perfect choice; everything from the pitch of her tone to the character’s mannerisms were spot on. At points it seemed like you could be watching real life footage. The show opens with an interview featuring Gypsy and Dee Dee detailing their new home in Missouri. This scene is based off an interview the duo actually did back in June 2008 after Habitat for Humanity built them a new home replacing their previous home in Louisiana that was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. After watching this scene and then watching the original interview, it’s difficult to determine the real interview from the fake. Patricia, as Dee Dee, is just as fantastic in the role as you would think. She literally transformed herself to play this character and will have no problem convincing viewers she is nothing but the caring mother Gypsy believed her to be.

For those who know the story, have read the article, or watched the numerous documentaries, this show will have you glued to the television from start to finish. For those who have not, the first episode lays enough crumbs to have you intrigued enough to watch the next episode.

Grade: A-

Photo credit: Brownie Harris / Hulu