From Scratch: Is The Zoe Saldaña Netflix Series Worth Watching?
Zoe Saldaña starred in a Netflix drama, From Scratch, that flew under most people's radars and now viewers may be wondering if it's worth returning to. From Scratch is a 2022 Netflix show that stars Saldaña as Amy Wheeler, a Georgetown law student who takes a break from her studies to travel to Italy. While she's there, she falls in love with a free-spirited chef, Lino (Eugenio Mastrandrea), and begins to realize that maybe there is more to life than just what she planned for herself. In only eight episodes, From Scratch explores the ups and downs of new romance.
The series premiered in October 2022, and it's not correct to say that it caught Zoe Saldaña in the middle of her hot streak, because it hasn't been so much a streak as an entire career. Since 2009, with her dual roles in Avatar and Star Trek, Saldaña has been one of the biggest names in movies and TV shows, and even before that, she had memorable parts in Pirates of the Caribbean and Crossroads. It's hard to make something with Saldaña and it not be at least somewhat watchable, so fans may be wondering how From Scratch stacks up.
Zoe Saldaña's From Scratch Is Worth Watching
Saldaña And Mastrandrea Have Fantastic Chemistry
From Scratch is absolutely a show worth watching. While the storyline about a woman shedding her family's expectations in order to pursue a dream in a beautiful locale like Italy may sound like standard romantic drama fare, Zoe Saldaña's performance breathes life into the project and makes the plot and script feel as vibrant as the Italian coast where the TV show is set. The series manages to combine a light, breezy tone full of funny and charming moments, with a rueful romance that is equal parts moving and heartwrenching.
The only real issue comes from Saldaña looking quite a bit older than a young law student, but her dramatic chops are required to help move the story forward and keep viewers invested in a romance that features only a few stumbling blocks. Picturesque scenes of Italy and delicious edible concoctions by Lino make each scene screensaver-worthy. Saldaña noted how important capturing the look of the setting was to making the show work (via Variety),
"That love story was untouched — the sparks and the magic and the food and the Italy of it all was definitely there."
From Scratch may not bring anything original to the table of romantic dramas, but it executes the tropes very well.
How Saldaña's From Scratch Performance Compares To Emilia Pérez
Rita Mora Castro Is A Much More Complex Character
Whether it's 2022 with From Scratch or 2009 with Star Trek, it seems like Zoe Saldaña is always a part of something notable. The same goes for 2024, where Saldaña stars in the musical crime comedy Emilia Pérez by Jacques Audiard, a Spanish-language French production based on Audiard's opera libretto of the same name, which he in turn adapted from Boris Razon's 2018 novel, Écoute. In the film, Rita Mora Castro (Saldaña) is a lawyer who is hired by a cartel kingpin, Juan "Manitas" Del Monte (Karla Sofía Gascón), to help her receive gender-affirming care and then disappear.
Zoe Saldaña won the Best Supporting Actress - Motion Picture award at the 82nd Golden Globes.
Rita and Amy could not be more different characters, beyond the fact that they are both lawyers questioning the path they've chosen in life. Where Amy has a joie de vivre and wants to leave lawyering behind to pursue her passions, Rita is over life. She's bored, listless, and underappreciated. It's a much deeper role than the one she performs in From Scratch, and she's earned some Oscar buzz for her performance. She'll likely be in the Best Supporting Actress category, though there's a case for her to be in the Best Actress category (via Variety).
From Scratch - Season 1
- Release Date
- October 21, 2022
- Network
- Netflix
- Series
- From Scratch
- Episodes
- 8
Your comment has not been saved