Trailer for Australian Series ‘Totally Completely Fine’ Promises Dark Humor and Hope
Thomasin McKenzie as Vivian in Totally Completely Fine
AMC Networks
The trailer for a new Australian series just dropped, and we’re feeling totally completely fine about it. Billed as a dark comedy, Totally Completely Fine is a six-episode series exploring what happens when a young woman at her lowest is literally tasked with talking others off the ledge.
The series stars Thomasin McKenzie (The Power of the Dog) as Vivian, who is not, in fact, totally completely fine. McKenzie, a rising star from New Zealand, is no stranger to the intricacies of dark humor. She is likely most recognizable to American audiences from her role in Jojo Rabbit, where she proved that she could balance serious topics and comedy with nuance. This talent makes her a natural choice to headline Totally Completely Fine.
As a co-production between Australian streaming service Stan and Sundance Now, Totally Completely Fine will be released simultaneously in the U.S. and Australia. The trailer promises a similar brand of irreverent humor and youthful energy to another Australian show that was well-received (if underappreciated) in the U.S., Please Like Me, which also used comedy to tackle themes of family, grief, and hope. With any luck, Totally Completely Fine will capture a larger audience that is better primed for an Australian streaming show
The official series synopsis is as follows:
Inspired by true events, Totally Completely Fine is a six-part dark comedy that explores the complexities of grief, the power of friendship, and the ways in which sadness can unite people. It follows a 20-something, Vivian Cunningham, whose life is a mess. Last week she accidentally burnt down her brother’s vegan food truck with a bacon-flavored vape, and this week she’s inherited her grandfather’s coastal clifftop shack and is tasked with helping people who come too close to the edge. Strangely enough, they’ve responded to her chaotic, nihilistic brand of psychology. Maybe, just maybe, in saving these people, she’ll slowly start to save herself.
Guest cast of Totally Completely Fine
Christine Ramage AMC Networks
McKenzie is joined by co-star Devon Terrell (Cursed) and supporting cast Brandon McClelland (The Other Guy), Rowan Witt (Spreadsheet), and Contessa Treffone (Doctor Doctor). The cast also includes James Sweeny (Home and Away), Max Crean (Mystic), and Brigid Zengeni (The Good Liar).
Vivian and her brothers in Totally Completely Fine
Christine Ramage AMC Networks
The show was created and executive-produced by Sydney-based writer Gretel Vella (The Great). Vella wrote the series as “a response to the mental health crisis.” She called the show her “heart project” and said it was “written for myself and so many other people in my life. To let them know they aren’t alone, that mess is okay, and sometimes the pain and anxieties we try and hide can be our greatest superpowers.” Vella’s co-writers on the show are Keir Wilkins (Surviving Summer) and Emme Hoy (The Tenant of Wildfell Hall).
The first two episodes of Totally Completely Fine will premiere on AMC+ and Sundance Now on Thursday, April 20, 2023, with the following episodes dropping weekly on Thursdays.
