Fake is an eight-part Australian drama thriller series which debuted on Paramount+ on 4 July 2024.
Synopsis
Fake is a drama-thriller series.[1] Inspired by the 2019 book with the same name by Stephanie Wood,[2] the series follows a smart magazine writer who thinks she has found her ideal match when she meets a successful grazier on a dating app. The writer later discovers that he is not all that he has led her to believe.[3][4]
Production
The eight-part 40 minute series was filmed in Melbourne in September 2023, created by screenwriter Anya Beyersdorf and directed by Emma Freeman,[3] Jennifer Leacey and Taylor Ferguson.[4] Three episodes were written by Hyun Lee and Jessica Tuckwell.[5]
The series is produced by Kindling Pictures, led by Imogen Banks and Emelyne Palmer. The series received a major production investment from Paramount ANZ and Screen Australia, in association with VicScreen.[4]
All episodes of the series were added to Paramount+ on 4 July 2024.[4][5]
Reception
Craig Mathieson of The Age wrote, "On an emotional level it is forensic, and the direction – set up by Emma Freeman – accentuates the acutely felt unease…It becomes a brutal, recurring cue. Fake is one gripping shock to the system after another."[6] Luke Buckmaster of Guardian Australia described the series' narration, "There's a logic to this narration but it's almost impossible to make a sentence like that sound natural – and the show doesn’t quite master the literary qualities it's aspiring for, either."[7] David Knox of TV Tonight wrote, "In a world of scams, bad dates and ghosting Fake is a modern cautionary tale about trust and self-worth. It's also a ripping yarn."[8]
^Knox, David (2 July 2024). "Fake". TV Tonight (Review). Retrieved 6 July 2024. In a world of scams, bad dates and ghosting Fake is a modern cautionary tale about trust and self-worth. It's also a ripping yarn.
