Pure S1

On the surface, the 2019 British dramedy Pure is all about sex. Actually, it’s about Marnie, a young woman whose obsessive-compulsive disorder manifests as 24/7 thoughts about sex. She even imagines her local bus driver naked when he opens the door.

The six-episode dramedy series tackles taboos without shame. Sex can be about love and emotions, but sometimes, it’s just for fun. That’s Marnie in a nutshell.

But there’s another layer too: sexual health. It’s a much-talked-about issue that the show doesn’t gloss over.

The show benefits from a funky, fresh young cast who are pretty easy on the eye, and they are given fun, snappy dialogue. Marnie is played by relative newcomer Charly Clive.

“Beyond its portrayal of mental illness it is, more broadly, exploring something more universal – the process of moving to a new city and having to figure out who you are versus who you think you’re supposed to be. There is a lot to like,” says cosmopolitan.com’s Naomi Gordon.