Savage Beauty, the newest African Original on Netflix definitely made the list for series which are compelling and worthwhile.
The series follows Zinhle (played by Rosemary Zimu), who is determined to bring down the Bhengu family, who runs a powerful, global beauty empire. The powerful family maintains significant wealth but also holds dark secrets.
Don and Grace Bhengu (the patriarch and matriarch of the family) once used to test their toxic beauty products on street children. Zinhle is one of the survivors, and what follows is an intriguing revenge drama — one that is hard to put down. A story involving corporate manslaughter which makes sure to grip audiences from the start.
Savage Beauty captures the arrogance and privilege of a family dynasty steeped in abundant wealth, where being grounded is tricky. The opening episode shows Zinhle becoming the face of Bhengu Beauty after a public vote, with the CEO Don Bhengu (played by Dumisani Mbebe) attending the reveal party with his two wives.
The cast embraces the plot from the offset by putting real energy into the script.
While Savage Beauty is precisely dramatic, it does well to keep the story balanced, bringing in other subplots of romance and desire, interlinking well with revenge. In the six episodes, the South African series does well not to diverge to empty-headed plot points and keeps the twists believable and reasonable.
The series is indeed enticing while highlighting the byproduct of enormous companies, and honestly, Lebogang Mogashoa, the creator, gets the messages across loud and clear.
These are the kinds of series that Netflix is suppose to be pushing into our faces. Savage Beauty has all the potential to be as popular and well-received as Blood & Water.
Savage Beauty is full of beautiful people, beautiful scenery and picture-perfect lives. But underneath the surface lies a dark secret that brings drama, scandal, and will ignite thought-provoking conversations long after the final episode.
As of now, we can only hope and pray for season 2.
