Who does not know it? More and more new series start every month and nobody has the time to watch it all. Series that do not run on Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon often receive little attention. That’s what happened to the exceptional series It’s a Sin from 2021, which wrings you out emotionally like no other.
For a long time, It’s a Sin hid on the Starzplay streaming service, which no longer exists. But now there’s no reason to miss out on this series masterpiece. Because after the TV broadcast on ZDFneo, we have been streaming since July 7th all five episodes free in the ZDF media library.
New in the ZDF media library: In It’s a Sin joie de vivre turns into absolute horror
Russell T. Davies is the author behind the project, who, among other things, revived the science fiction universe Doctor Who and inspired the harrowing sci-fi drama Years and Years. It’s a Sin was directed by Peter Hoar, who recently broke countless viewers’ hearts in The Last of Us.
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The cast of It’s a Sin
In It’s a Sin we follow a group of friends – gay men Ritchie (Olly Alexander), Colin (Callum Scott Howells), Roscoe (Omari Douglas) and Ash (Nathaniel Curtis) and their best friend Jill (Lydia West) – during a Period of life when everything changes. They take their first steps as adults, free themselves from all constraints in the big city of London and enjoy their newly found freedom to the fullest at parties and in strange beds.
But alas, we are in Britain in the early 1980s and a new virus descends on them like a dark cloud. The HIV and AIDS crisis will change everything. Unstoppable and with rapid steps, the series moves deeper and deeper into the darkest chapter of LGBTQ+ history.
Soon the young characters’ friends give way to sheer horror. They are just celebrating with people close to them. From one day to the next they suddenly disappeared. In fact, life was just about to begin for her. Now, amid paranoia, fear and ignorance, death is her constant companion.
A ruthlessly authentic and absolutely heartbreaking series masterpiece
It’s a Sin is a disturbing look at the effects of the AIDS crisis on many different areas of life. Each of the characters has independent experiences in the course of the five episodes and so the series continues to become a large one Collage of different stories about homosexuality in times of the AIDS crisis together.
You can watch the German trailer for It’s a Sin here:
It’s A Sin – S01 Trailer (German) HD
But what makes the series so special is not the sheer trauma that the characters have to experience. It’s the outrageously charming and lovable (and mostly) queer leads – with guest star Neil Patrick Harris. The characters lure you with their lifelong friends and let you become a part of their Pink Palace flat share community. And then their fates pull you into the emotional abyss.
And that abyss is deep. Even if the characters are fictitious, their stories are authentic and convey the attitude towards life and the living environment of queer people in the 1980s unadulterated and relentlessly honest again. They embody erased memories and lives that could have been lived. This is where the series hurts immensely. Be prepared to get dehydrated.
The message of It’s a Sin is still extremely relevant 40 years after the AIDS crisis
Not only is It’s a Sin a masterfully written series, it’s a bloody important one. Over 40 years after the start of the AIDS crisis should not forget the collective trauma of the queer community.
The series is reminiscent of the desperate call for acceptance, for help in a society that denies those affected by the AIDS crisis, locks them away, defames them, declares them enemies and leaves them to die. For many queer people, this time was marked by guilt – and the shame imposed on them by politics, media and society.
It’s a Sin is a punch in the pit of the stomach. The miniseries is a memorial. Then homophobia and stigma have not disappeared from society to this day and are costing young people their lives. The message is still red hot.
More information on HIV and sexually transmitted infections can be found on the BZgA’s website for the promotion of sexual health love life . Do you have questions about STIs, sexuality or coming out? Do not be afraid to take advantage of the offers of the advice centers and telephone advice.
Podcast: The 20 Best Series Launches of July on Netflix, Amazon and More
Need more fresh streaming tips? You can find the most exciting July series that you can stream on Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+ and more here in the monthly preview:
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