Apple TV+ Physical exposes the harsh reality of body dysmorphia and the rise of the aerobics scene in the 1980’s. Check out all the details in this parents guide review.
Apple TV+ Physical drops on the streaming service tomorrow, June 18th. The series stars Rose Byrne and dives into the dark world of the rise of the aerobics scene in the 1980’s. Physical consists of ten episodes with each episode running around 25-30 minutes long, so it is a quick watch! Check out all the details in this parents guide review.
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Apple TV+ Physical Quotes
Apple TV+ PHYSICAL Parents Guide
Sheila (Rose Byrne) is a quietly tortured woman with extreme body dysmorphia. After her husband (Danny Rubin) is fired, he starts a bid for state assembly, which Sheila supports while battling personal demons until she finds release through the world of aerobics.
Apple TV+ PHYSICAL Age Appropriate Parents Guide
Lets take a look at what parents need to know before allowing their kids to view Apple TV+ Physical.
Language: Apple TV+ Physical contains extremely harsh language with profanity used throughout; words include: f*ck, sh*t, b*tch, d*ck, c*ck and much more.
Sexual Content: The series contains sex scenes which include characters masterbating, performing oral sex, and threesomes. There is also some scenes showing a fetish of shaving heads.
Mature Content: The show centers around body dysmorphia and characters are shown binging on food, throwing food up, and constantly calling themselves fat, cow, and other terms putting down their bodies. Drug use and alcohol consumption is shown in the series. There are also multiple scenes which show characters stealing.
Overall Thoughts
The best thing about Apple TV+ Physical is Rose Byrne, who plays the main character Sheila. Byrne’s portrayal of Sheila is dark and extremely uncomfortable as we listen to her “inner voice” regularly berate herself “you fat cow” and watch her binge and vomit the unhealthy foods she gorges herself with. While Byrne’s harsh inner monologue reveals her tragic perception of herself, her wild curly hair and skeleton thin frame is a marvelous contradiction.
While Byrne steals every scene she graces in Apple TV+ Physical, the supporting cast also deserve many accolades. Danny Rubin who plays Sheila’s husband Rory in the series is the character you will love to hate, and in fact his treatment of Sheila will have you rooting for her despite her many flaws. Dierdre Friel is masterful as Sheila’s rotund annoying neighbor, and Paul Sparks who plays Mormon moralist developer John Breem is uncomfortable to watch as his apparent obsession for Sheila is beyond creepy.
Although Apple TV+ Physical attempts to look at the rise of the aerobics scene, it is often sidelined by subplots involving Rory’s bid for politics, Sheila’s body dysmorphia, and an open-ended story-line concerning the tragedy Sheila faced while living with her parents. Because of this, I was a bit disappointed in the lack of a story-line concerning the aerobics industry and rise in popularity. The series is more of a dramedy of Sheila’s dysfunctional life with a bit of aerobics thrown in.
The series brings back the nostalgia of the decade with a kickin’ soundtrack, big hair, and that 80’s style. And while Physical wasn’t exactly what I expected, Byrne makes this series worth the watch and I am pining for more!
