Sex and drugs and rot: ‘Bodem’ by Eva Crutzen is not exactly exemplary, but it is sharp

Drinking, sniffing, swallowing, sex: Cat does not exactly lead an exemplary life in her thirties, and she sees the humor in that. But behind that escapism lies a heartbreaking family drama.

You might know Eva Crutzen from the satirical Dutch cult programs Promenadein which she played an enlarged version of herself, and Click bite, in which she took on the most diverse comedic roles. The fiction series Soil she wrote and directed herself. As a leading actress she received a Golden Calf for it. She even sings a few songs. Although these could just as well be hallucinations, because in Cat’s head they cannot always be distinguished from reality. Not even when she is admonished by wooden figures or works of art.

They are voices that perfectly match the inner monologue of the main character: sometimes they narrate, much more often they provide impulsive commentary on what is happening to her. It is not a new technique in this type of tragicomic series, but Crutzen uses it very sharply and creatively. The joke is never far away, but neither is the bottom line. Underneath the cynicism lies a great sadness. You feel it and you see it, in Cat’s tormented facial expression, and in the eyes of friends and family.

Not pretty, but funny

Her best friend becomes pregnant, and therefore drug-free. Her vain father steals the show from her irritating employer, her mother holds her own. They seem to have handled the drama better than Cat. Her autistic half-sister is simply her autonomous self, and in her way proves to be a kind of role model. The young lover and the flirting colleague mainly have a comforting power. Cat is (just like Crutzen) 37, and age is gradually starting to play tricks on her, as she is still devoted to her self-destructive lifestyle, with its embarrassing moments and rottenness.

Eva Crutzen does not paint a pretty – albeit funny – picture of her peers. The excessive drug and alcohol use will probably offend some viewers. The sex is sometimes wild and usually satisfying, but it does not guarantee loving security. Gradually we learn what fate has befallen Cat and her family, and how it affects their lives. You gradually understand what inspires Cat to choose the high and avoid confrontation with herself and others.

The story is told in six episodes of just under half an hour. Soil Binging doesn’t take longer than going to Oppenheimer watch it, and we might even recommend it to you. Even though the viewing figures were initially somewhat disappointing, the second season has already been ordered.