On a typical Thursday night, I was doing my homework silently in my room when high-pitched screams and thundering crashes brought me out of my chair, running downstairs with expectations to see that something had exploded. To my surprise, my sister and parents were casually lying on the couch with a bowl of popcorn and watching Yellowjackets, a new psychological drama series from Showtime.

I’m not a huge fan of action movies and shows; I typically stick to those easy-going, feel-good pictures that you can put on in the background while you do homework or play a board game, but this one had me binge-watching daily. 

Here’s the plot: A team of high school soccer players heading to a national tournament crash on the private jet that was flying them out to the destination of the game in 1996. In the crash, some die, but many survive, and they have to figure out how to navigate the challenges that the depths of the forest bring them. 

The show flashes back and forth between the present and the past, featuring the struggles in the forest and then the trauma it brings them as adults, trying to lead a normal life. 

Amidst hunting for food, trying to find shelter, and fighting for health and survival, the high school drama and teenage dispositions follow them to the woods. 

Every episode presents a plot twist and a new, exciting yet gruesome scene. It will have you on the edge of your seat for all 60 minutes of each episode. 

One night I watched it before bed and didn’t end up falling asleep until 3 a.m. Part of this was due to the cliff-hanger endings, but also because of the adrenaline induced by the show. I was fully alert and awake, and honestly too scared to sleep. 

So, I wouldn’t suggest watching this around the time you plan to go to bed. 

The show doesn’t spare you any gory or gross scenes, so if you have a weak stomach, this one might not be for you. However, with the exception of covering my eyes when a rabbit gets beheaded, I was entirely entertained and captivated by this show.