Move over 'Fallout' and 'Yellowjackets', Ella Purnell finds her footing in a chilling new role
Contains spoilers for 'Sweetpea' Episode 1
LONDON, ENGLAND: Ella Purnell has arrived! 2024 has been a transformative year for the 28-year-old actress who started out young and took steady steps towards making it big in the entertainment industry. Popularly known for starring in 'Belgravia' and 'Yellowjackets', Purnell started this year with a bang. By playing the lead in Prime Video's aspirational project 'Fallout', she was able to grow her popularity. But turns out 'Fallout' was just the trailer of Purnell's acting chops.
Ella Purnell starrer 'Sweetpea' premiered on Sky Atlantic and Starz on Thursday, October 10. Starring in lead as Rhiannon, Purnell plays a young woman who turns out to be a serial killer. The dark comedy series, based on CJ Skuse's novel of the same name, appears to be a real game changer for Purnell.
Ella Purnell takes on her career's most challenging role in 'Sweetpea'
'Sweetpea' Episode 1 kicks off with a sneak-peek into Rhiannon's miserable life since childhood. Her mother fled from the house when she was young, she was psychologically bullied by a girl in school, and she is ignored by her sister, her colleagues and everyone she crosses paths with. For people, she just doesn't exist. You can't blame these people because Rhiannon doesn't have a personality that makes her stand out from the crowd. She is quiet, under-confident, weird and mostly not likeable to extroverts.
However, you can't blame her either. She has been bullied, felt ignored and unloved for most of her life. Being lost in the crowd may have worked sometimes for her but it starts to bother as she grows up. After losing both her father and her dog—the only two who truly stood by her—she’s left feeling utterly alone. Things get worse, when her sister, Seren, wants to sell their father's house, where Rhiannon still lives. She wants the position of junior reporter within her company but her boss thinks she doesn't have the "killer instinct" required for the job. Frustration has been piling up for her and it's only a matter of time before she loses her mind and unleashes her killer instinct (literally).
The character is quite complex and layered with multiple emotions. She is relatable for many introverts or people who feel unloved or unseen. Moreover, everyone has a list of people they want to get rid, but Rhiannon takes it quite literally and goes on a killing spree. Playing an ordinary girl-next-door who also happens to be a psychotic serial killer could be a breakthrough role for Purnell. After all, it's the grey characters as these the artists usually crave for.
Ella Purnell shines as a serial killer in 'Sweetpea'
Right with the debut episode, we are hooked to 'Sweetpea' and the credit goes to Ella Purnell. In the first half of the episode, she narrates her past, her deep, dark and twisted thoughts. The narration doesn't feel rushed and Purnell is able to draw us to her miserable life.
By the end of the episode, the young woman's rage erupts as she brutally stabs a stranger to death after he unknowingly urinates on her in the darkness. Be it playing a quiet wallflower of a deadly killer, Purnell aces both sides of her personality. Now, we can’t wait to dive deeper into her life as she sets out to cross names off her hit list.
'Sweetpea' Episode 1 is available to stream on Starz.