TV
Badwill to some men
Set in the Alaskan wilderness, ‘Outlast’ is a perfect antidote to the season’s cosier, cheerier fare
by IMOGEN WEST-KNIGHTS
© EVERETT COLLECTION INC / ALAMY
Alot of television at this time of year is pretty cloying. It’s not that I don’t have time for any of that: I’ll watch the Gavin &Stacey finale, catch half an episode of Call the Midwife over my mum’s shoulder, that kind of thing. But I think there’s room for some counter-programming, when people have had their fill of cheer and goodwill to all men. So, something seasonal—by which I mean, set in a cold place—but which demonstrates the truth that often, when the chips are down, people are absolutely not lovely to each other. Let me recommend a show called Outlast.
Survival competitions have never been my thing. There’s something ludicrous about dudes in high-tech outdoor clothing chopping wood and putting themselves through a few bad nights’ sleep in the name of feeling more manly. But my sister came across Outlast during an evening’s aimless Netflix scrolling and insisted I watch it—because it “gets wild”.