British Series ‘Kiss Me First’ Set in a Futuristic VR Metaverse, Coming to Netflix

By
Scott Hayden
-
17

In the wake of Steven Spielberg’s latest film Ready Player One (2018) comes a new Netflix series set in the backdrop of a virtual universe. Called Kiss Me First, the psychological thriller takes place in a dark, ominous world where fully-immersive virtual reality is the norm.

Mashed-up with live action and computer-generated virtual world sequences, Kiss Me First tells the story of Leila, a VR addict who stumbles across a hidden area in her favorite game. There she meets Tess, a chaotic person who suddenly injects herself into Leila’s physical world too.

You might remember the series’ viral ad campaign from a few weeks ago, which publicly commercialized the ‘AzanaBand’ haptic device, even going so far as to ship a working prototype to YouTubers Hat Films. Yeah, it was just a wireless shock collar, but it certainly got the Internet’s attention.

image courtesy Channel 4

The first episode, entitled ‘She Did Something’, aired April 2nd on the UK’s Channel 4, and is soon to premier on Netflix internationally. Kiss Me First was created by Bryan Elsley, co-creator of hit UK teen drama series Skins.

Here’s a brief description from the Channel 4 listing:

Bryan Elsley’s (Skins, Dates) Kiss Me First is an innovative thriller which combines live action with stunning state-of-the-art computer-generated virtual world sequences in a TV drama first.

Based on Lottie Moggach’s debut novel, Kiss Me First moves between the real and virtual animated worlds. When Leila (Tallulah Haddon, Taboo, The Living and the Dead) stumbles across Red Pill, a secret paradise, hidden on the edges of her favourite game, she meets Tess (Simona Brown, The Night Manager). Tess is everything that Leila is not: hedonistic, impulsive and insatiable. So when Tess turns up in Leila’s real life uninvited, Leila’s world is forever changed. But then a member of the group mysteriously disappears and Leila begins to suspect that maybe the hidden sanctuary isn’t the digital Eden its creator Adrian claims it to be. Now, Leila’s real journey begins.

Kiss Me First is produced by Kindle Entertainment and Balloon Entertainment.

This article may contain affiliate links. If you click an affiliate link and buy a product we may receive a small commission which helps support the publication. See here for more information.


Scott Hayden
Well before the first modern XR products hit the market, Scott recognized the potential of the technology and set out to understand and document its growth. He has been professionally reporting on the space for nearly a decade as Editor at Road to VR, authoring more than 3,500 articles on the topic. Scott brings that seasoned insight to his reporting from major industry events across the globe.
  • jj

    no thanks. why does everyone in this and RP1 oasis have to look soooo damn bad cgi. Don’t you think by then we’d be able to render us to not look plastic. also you cant kiss in vr…

    • JJ

      * have to have such bad CGI

    • Harry Cox

      agreed, the cgi in RP1 was turd. But I think they were trying to make alot of the elements kid-friendly, which is funny considering alot of the references are meant for an older audience. Trying to tick the whole family off I guess.

      Looked akin to Final Fantasy cutscenes meets Reboot

      • JJ

        yeah i bet thats what it is as well just trying to make it more palatable to everyone

    • DudeBro

      That’s literally the whole point, though. It’s noticeably CGI on purpose, because that’s how they make it visually distinct from the real world. If the VR world looked photo-realistic, they might as well have just made a science-fiction / fantasy movie set in a different high-tech future.

      Also, can people stop acting like CGI is the devils work? “Oh, I can’t tell it’s not real, that means it’s bad CGI and I hate it”. I agree that CGI that tries to look real but ends up looking fake is bad, but how on earth is it “bad CGI” if it looks unreal while intentionally trying to look unreal It’s literally being exactly what it’s trying to be, so how is it “bad CGI”?

      • gothicvillas

        It looked like characters pulled from Fortnite and thats not a compliment

        • Harry Cox

          Very purposeful I’m sure. I think the style panders a bit too much but then they are aiming this crap towards that kind of audience.

          • JJ

            yeah theyre just trying to aim for the younger crowds that enjoy animated films more

      • jj

        No thats not the whole point at all. A virtual reality should be photo realistic in the future otherwise its mismatch of technology. If we can put you in the matrix then technology is past the point of bad CGI.

        I work at a CGI company so yeah bad cgi is the devil.

    • Hivemind9000

      “also you cant kiss in vr”

      it’s a work of fiction, with a sensory collar device that’s meant to do all the work of immersing your senses in the virtual world – and yes, that means kissing too (and a whole lot else presumably).

  • Mateusz Pawluczuk

    Cool :) More VR themed content is always good, both for mainstream and enthusiasts alike. Also +1 that Shockcollar promo ;) Could see it being used for some zombie horror games ; p

  • WyrdestGeek

    It will probably be kind of stupid because series that try to do a dramatic version of VR almost always are. But I will watch it anyway, as I always do, in the hopes that maybe this time it will be visionary instead of lame.

  • MasterElwood

    Sounds interesting – but DAMN the main actress is ugly!

  • It has intrigued me. I would love to see it.

  • Kenji Fujimori

    Meh boring dry, zero emotions, British acting..

  • sfmike

    Will we ever have stories with male protagonists ever again?

    • MasterElwood

      THIS! Thank you.