‘Sex Education’ On Netflix: 8 Reasons You Need To Get Into This New Show Immediately

1. The aesthetic

The first thing we have to say about ‘Sex Education’ is that it looks great. The entire show has a total’ 80s vibe to it (it took us a full 20 minutes into the first episode to realise that it isn’t actually set in the ‘80s), from the fashion to the technology and reference points. This means that compared to other contemporary shows that centre around young people, the episodes not going to feel dated when you watch them back in a year or so. Even the characters’ names – including Otis, Eric, Maeve and Ruby – don’t feel specific to a time period.

Most of the action takes place at lead character Otis’ house, or the high school which, despite being obviously set in the UK, has a distinctly American feel to it, with its pastel-coloured lockers, expansive ‘Breakfast Club’-esque corridors and lack of school uniform. Already not placed in a set time period, this means ‘Sex Education’ is also not stuck in one already-existing location, so when you watch it, you don’t end up getting too hung up on local geography.

“It’s very much a bold stylistic choice,” actor Alistair Petrie told ‘BUILD’. “And it works, it is its own world, which people are invited to step into.” 

2. The impressive young cast

Another way ‘Sex Education’ manages not to distract us is by casting mostly unknown actors as the show’s younger characters. You might recognise leading man Asa Butterfield from his childhood turns in ‘Hugo’ or ‘The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas’, but almost everyone else from the main cast can boast ‘Sex Education’ is among their first on-screen appearances.

Both Emma Mackey and Ncuti Gatwa, who play Maeve and Eric, only had a handful of small TV roles before landing their parts in ‘Sex Education’, and the same applies to Connor Swindells (Adam), while for Aimee Lou Wood (Aimee), this is her first time acting on screen.