Dipaly Banerjee
Created by João Paulo Horta, Netflix’s ‘#NoFilter’ (originally titled ‘Sem Filtro’) is a Brazilian comedy series that centers on a young woman, Marcely, who decides to drop out of college after being frustrated with her studies. Marcely has a new life goal that fascinates her in a world where social media is taking over. She wants to be an influencer. However, Marcely would soon discover that the platform of social media powered by a world dominated by the internet is not quite simple as she thought it to be.
Marcely soon gets herself in hot waters, and in a hilarious yet informative fashion, the comedy series explores the themes of both sides of the internet. The series is driven by compelling performances by Ademara, Flávia Reis, Orã Figueiredo, Sandra de Sá, and Carol Garcia, which heightens the overall narrative of the series. If the themes with the reality of social media and the lives of social media influencers have made you wonder whether the series is based on actual events, we got you covered.
#NoFilter is an Original Work
No, ‘#NoFilter’ is not based on a true story. The series is the brainchild of writer and creator João Paulo Horta, who has attempted to hold a mirror of the social media platform and the dangers that come with it, and how the same affects the lives and mental health of social media influencers. The comic take on such a topic resonates with the themes of ‘Black Mirror,’ the anthology series that paints a real picture of the lives of people affected by a world dominated by social media.
Though ‘#NoFilter’ is not a dark comedy, when we read between the lines, we can filter out the horrors associated with making social media into one’s lifestyle. The themes of the same have been greatly explored by the creator, and the actors have done a wonderful job in painting a picture of the reality of our own lives and our own state of mind of how we tend to romanticize or even exalt the lives of social media influencers, thinking that is the “perfect lifestyle.”
Many viewers would relate to the fact that we have all, at one point in time, thought about quitting our jobs or studies to become full-time influencers, thinking it is the easier way out. When we actually put the lives of the influencers under a microscope, viewers would notice how difficult it is to be constantly under the eyes of the public and have your entire life broadcasted on social media. The themes of attention, in other terms, “clout”, have been incredibly portrayed by the creator.
The mental health and the dangers associated with having your life judged on a daily basis without any privacy just for the sake of clout truly take a toll on the mental health of influencers. When we compare the series with the satirical horror thriller film, ‘Spree,’ the story of a social media-obsessed rideshare driver who goes to horrific lengths to become viral and a desperate attempt to be “seen.”
Hence, though the series is not actually based on real events, the themes are very real and rooted in reality, and one can see why viewers would think the series is based on a true story. Having said that, we can ultimately infer that ‘#NoFilter’ is simply a work of fiction from the mind of a brilliant writer and creator.
Read More: Where is Netflix’s #NoFilter Filmed?
