It’s hard not to have high expectations for a show that has actors like Jai Courtney, Cate Blanchett, Asher Keddie, Fayssal Bazzi and Marta Dusseldorp involved in its creation however if gritty, true-to-life Australian dramas are your thing then you’ll probably be pretty satisfied with Stateless.
Stateless is ABC’s latest Australian drama series roughly based on the true story of Cornelia Rau, a permanent Aussie resident who was unlawfully detained in a detention centre back in 2004. Stateless takes some creative licensing on her story expanding the narrative to follow the lives of three other characters while adding a twist to her story too. The show covers topics such as illegal immigration, mental health and the struggles of low-income workers and although it’s not a real cheery show it works to shed light on some of the issues facing Australian society that tend to get swept under the rug every time a more manageable problem comes along.
When Stateless begins, we meet Sofie who is played by Yvonne Strahovski. Sofie is an air hostess who suffers from mental health issues and gets taken advantage of by a cult-like dance group. Next, we jump to Ameer, an Afghan father and husband who has brought his family to Indonesian in the hopes of negotiating him and his family onto illegal immigration boats headed to Australia. Then, we meet Cam played by Jai Courtney who is a low-income worker trying to support his wife and raise their family while living in a rural town and working a dead-end job. A family friend who works at the local detention centre frequently brags about the money he is earning for doing the bare minimum and tries to encourage Cam to get work there too, even though his wife is against it. Lastly, we meet Clare played by Asher Keddie (who you won’t see until episode 2) who is an ambitious bureaucrat flown in from Canberra to help manage the detention centre and tidy up the publicity mess that it has become. These four lives begin to intertwine and as each story becomes more dramatic and tangled, tensions rise at the detention centre.
I’m not going to say any more for fear of spoiling the few shocks the show has delivered however I will say what I’ve enjoyed. The performances are (obviously) well worth the viewing if nothing else. The story is an uncomfortable one and not an easy watch, however, the powerhouse acting puts well-known voices behind a handful of messages that need to be heard. I not only appreciate their acting on the screen within the show but I also retrospectively appreciate these well-known actors putting their voices to these issues and if not bettering Australian society, then at least shedding light on the dark parts of it.
One thing Stateless stumbles on, however, is working with multiple non-linear storylines. Due to the story attempting to follow so many characters and they want to keep you emotionally involved in all four stories, there seems to be a struggle in deciding who gets the most screen time. Every hour-long episode is frequently cutting from one person to another, trying to build suspense but still keep you interested enough. While some jump cuts were well-planned and seemingly symbolic, others felt jarring and out of place, leaving the show feeling dry and occasionally a little slow.
Overall, Stateless is a well-made ensemble drama series shedding light on important (if not slightly taboo) topics within Australian society. The series is gentle when it needs to be and yet doesn’t shy away from controversial moments, exhibiting both the best and worst in humanity. Stateless isn’t going to be a go-to show for everyone however it’s a must-watch for fans of Australian drama television.
Stateless is available now on ABC iview or internationally on Netflix.
Score: 3.5/5