The Netflix drama The Playlist is a forgotten gem that deserves a second look.
Originating from Spotify’s home country of Sweden, the drama got a respectable enough viewership upon its release in October 2022, but with so many great series having come and gone on one of the best streaming services since then, it often gets forgotten in the conversation around the best Netflix shows. Which is criminal, because it really is very good.
And you don’t have to take my word for it, with critics having little but praise for The Playlist, as evidenced by its 100% Rotten Tomatoes critical score. New viewers looking for a taste of what to expect can check out the trailer below.
Written by Christian Spurrier, Sofie Forsman and Tove Forsman, the show initially feels like it’s going to be a by-the-numbers tech mogul biopic focussing on Spotify creator Daniel Ek (Edvin Endre), however a wicked episode one twist turns everything on its head and from there, the show becomes a Rashomon-like tale of Spotify’s rise told from the varying points of view of those integral to it.
The series is based on Sven Carlsson and Jonas Leijonhufvud’s non-fiction book Spotify Untold, which features interviews with many of the music streaming app’s key players. Not everyone interviewed recounts the same version of events, and the aim of The Playlist’s quirky narrative structure is to replicate this reality while simultaneously showing the impact the game-changing app had on its founders, the industry and music lovers in an incredibly short space of time.
The show manages to be both a gripping tale of the creation of one of the world’s best music streaming services while also succeeding as a satire of the type of tech biography story it’s telling, with the ending especially inviting the audience to take the likes of The Social Network and Steve Jobs with a healthy dose of salt.
What are the critics saying about The Playlist?
But as unconventional as the show may be, it undoubtedly works for the critics based on its perfect Rotten Tomatoes score, with critic Kate Sanchez calling it “near perfect”.
Decider highlights how the unusual narrative works to make a fairly straightforward story much more enticing, saying “that structure helps slice up a story that doesn’t have a ton of conflict,” while The Times discuss how the show goes beyond the standard tech-bio template, becoming “a lot more interesting than you might initially expect”.
What’s the subscriber’s verdict?
And while the show may not be the first on many Netflix subscribers lips these days, a very respectable 85% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes shows that those that have seen it, love it, with one Redditor stating “Netflix’s drama about the making of Spotify has no right to be this good.”
Other users on the platform echo these thoughts, with one saying “don’t skip this, it is quality throughout” while another added “best Netflix show in a long while.”
However, a common thread among some posters is the show’s controversial ending, with one saying “I liked the show until the last episode” and another commenting “I just can’t get around the bizarre ending.”
If you’re looking to shuffle your Netflix viewing, this unique take on the tech-biopic is a perfect six-episode binge. Don’t miss out on this smart satire, add The Playlist to your playlist immediately.
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