Ariel Molinaro
Hulu subscribers can now stream the screen adaptation of John Green’s New York Times Best Seller: “Looking for Alaska.”
The eight-episode Hulu Original follows Miles “Pudge” Halter (Charlie Plummer) in his coming-of-age story. The 16-year-old, who indulges in learning famous last words from the pages of biographies, is consumed by his desire to seek the “the Great Perhaps,” a journey inspired by the last words of François Rabelais.
Looking to leave his hometown of Orlando, Fla., Halter follows in his father’s footsteps and attends Culver Creek Preparatory School, a co-ed private boarding school 15 miles south of Birmingham, Ala. Halter’s roommate Chip “The Colonel” Martin (Denny Love), Takumi Hikohito (Jay Lee) and Alaska Young (Kristine Froseth) introduce Halter to the world Martin refers to as “the Creek.”
The year at Culver Creek is defined by good friendships and prank wars, but most importantly by the search for answers about life and death after a fatal car crash.
Fourteen years after the 2005 release of the novel by author John Green, “Looking for Alaska” gives audiences the opportunity to visualize the world of Culver Creek.
“Each episode ends with a countdown to some mysterious and seemingly awful event. If you’ve read the book, you know what that is. If you haven’t, I cannot stress enough how much you should not Google what the twist is — at least if you plan to binge Alaska,” said Ariana Romero for Refinery29.
My first glimpse of the series was a promotional trailer on my social media feed in the days leading up to its release; I was instantly elastic. In fact, as I tried to watch the pilot episode on my laptop the realization hit me, the release date for the series was within the next week.
One of the first young adult novels I read by Green was making its long-awaited debut in the world of film.
“Looking for Alaska” captures the raw emotions of the audience, bringing with it a sense of nostalgia of the innocence of youth and an unexpected emotional rollercoaster.
The reverence for the original storyline is evident, the expanded scenes and in-depth focus on supporting characters in the screen adaptation showcased the partnership and shared voice between Green and Josh Schwartz, screen adaptation creator and executive producer. After finishing the eight-hour series, I instantly wanted to re-read the novel where it all started.
“For an audience that grew up with those shows [“The O.C.,” “Chuck” and “Gossip Girl”], “Looking For Alaska” creates the perfect wave of nostalgia, one that will send those memories flooding back to that time when everything was life and death and your very being was defined by things like your love of specific music or book or art,” said LaToya Ferguson for the Indie Wire, an online forum for “independent-minded filmmakers, the industry and moviegoers alike.”
The Hulu Original is rated TV-MA for mature audiences only due to the use of graphic language, including the depiction of suicide, which may be upsetting or triggering for some viewers.
At the end of the final episodes, mental health support resources are displayed for audience members. These resources can be found at hulu.com/looking-for-alaska-resources.
Audiences can now stream the eight-episode series on the Hulu streaming app.