Netflix has released a trailer for its high-profile seriesRatched, which finds Emmy winnerSarah Paulsonplaying the wicked nurse fromOne Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.
Louise Fletcherwon an Oscar for her performance oppositeJack Nicholsonin the 1975 film based onKen Kesey’s novel of the same name, though based on this trailer, Paulson clearly makes the iconic character her own as she explores Nurse Ratched’s twisted origin story.
Ratchedtakes place in 1947 as Mildred Ratched arrives in Northern California to seek employment at a leading psychiatric hospital where new and unsettling experiments have begun on the human mind. On a clandestine mission, Mildred presents herself as the perfect image of what a dedicated nurse should be, but the wheels are always turning, and as she begins to infiltrate the mental health care system and those within it, Mildred’s stylish exterior belies a growing darkness that has long been smoldering within, revealing that true monsters are made, not born.
Jon Jon Briones, who was excellent asAndrew Cunanan’s father in the second installment ofAmerican Crime Story, co-stars as Dr. Richard Hanover, who operates the asylum, whileJudy Davisplays its head nurse, Betsy Bucket.Charlie CarverandAlice Englertplay a pair of hospital workers, whileFinn Wittrockco-stars as a vicious serial killer locked away inside the facility.
Elsewhere,Vincent D’Onofrioplays Governor George Wilburn, andCynthia Nixonplays his press secretary, Gwendolyn Briggs, who becomes infatuated with Nurse Ratched. Meanwhile,Sharon StoneandBrandon Flynnplay a mother-son duo with revenge on their minds, andAmanda Plummerplays a local innkeeper. Finally,Corey StollandSophie Okonedohave recurring roles as investigator Charles Wainwright and multiple personality patient Charlotte Wells, respectively.
Ratchedwas created byEvan Romansky, and boastsRyan MurphyandIan Brennanamong its team of executive producers. Paulson also serves as an executive producer alongsideAlexis Martin Woodall,Aleen Keshishian,Jacob Epstein,Jennifer Salt,Margaret Riley,Robert Mitas,Tim MinearandMichael Douglas, the latter of whom producedOne Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nestand shared its Best Picture victory withSaul Zaentz.
Reviews are embargoed until Sept. 14, but I suppose I’m allowed to tell you that I binged all eight episodes over the weekend, making sure to savor the final one, since it could be a while before Netflix can start shooting a second season if the show proves to be a hit. This is my way of reminding you thatRatchedwasn’t intended to serve as a limited series – a relief, since the well-crafted world Romansky looks to have created here seems like it’d be able to support multiple seasons of storytelling.
Fletcher leaves some big nurse’s shoes to fill, but Paulson won an Emmy and a Golden Globe for her turn as prosecutorMarcia Clarkin Murphy’sAmerican Crime Story: The People vs. O.J. Simpson, so don’t be surprised if she winds up in awards contention again next year. Watch theRatchedtrailer below, and if you aren’t intrigued at the very least, you may very well need a lobotomy.
