The rocking 80s were actually rocky for the Stock Market later in the decade, and The Exchange review will share how this show managed to bring that in front of the screen. This show is an Arabic language drama starring Rawan Mehdi, Mona Hussein, Jasem Al-Nabhan, Hussain Al-Mahdi, Abdullah Bahman, Asmahan Tawfiq, Mohamed Mansour, Faisal AlAmeri and Maryam Salih, alongside other cast members. This series, directed by Jasem Al-Muhanna and Karim Elshenawy, contains six episodes, each ranging from 40-60 minutes.

Netflix’s description of the series reads:

Inspired by real events, two women set out to pioneer the cutthroat stock market of 1980s Kuwait — and disrupt its corrupt boys club along the way.

-The Exchange Review Does Not Contain Spoilers-

When two women enter the boys club, things start to unravel pretty quickly. Farida and Munira are both different characters expressing different sides of the female experience. While one of them chooses to focus on the job as a way to support her family, the other chooses it to make herself independent of her family. The protagonists are written well enough to have different motivations and perspectives when it comes to the job.

Additionally, it also does a great job of highlighting gender struggles within the workplace. The banter between the only other female employee, the problems male employees create when it comes to preferential treatment, and general dehumanisation causes many of them to leave their jobs. In a traditionally male-dominated sphere that is truly more like a boy’s locker room than a boy’s club, these women are shown braving discrimination through steady determination and commitment.

For a show willing to continue on for many seasons, it doesn’t make much of a mark. Once again, as with any historical fiction project, there should be a central plot present, which this show doesn’t contain. Apart from that, the show is also not gripping enough to keep someone hooked with all the stock market language that they use. (This is perhaps a limitation on the writer’s end which could be extremely easy to understand and interesting for other viewers.)

Funnily enough, whatever the show skims out on the plot area, makes up completely in the makeup and costume department. Nearly every single one of Munira and Farida’s looks is banger after banger. The eye looks are on point, and the hair is consistently well put up for both of them. Moreover, while Munira and Farida look fantastic in each episode, we are also given glimpses into the lives of the other characters in the show, namely Farida’s daughter, Jude.

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The plot is uninteresting, with dialogues a little jejune and character dynamics that lack chemistry. Characters that were supposed to have some romantic inclinations were not depicted well enough. It was understandable that the protagonists denied any tension because there wasn’t any in the first place. Attempts are creating chemistry often lent the story repetitive visual cues, including the pantry and surprisingly (well, not really) doorways.

However, what is interesting about the show is the ability to show realistic depictions of what it is to be a professional at a time when no one wants women to be one. This is not just a one-off in the storyline but is consistently woven into the narrative. It is perhaps the one thing that works well in their favour.

The Exchange Review: Final Thoughts

Viewers may be tempted to watch the show after such a gripping trailer, but it is surprisingly underwhelming. While it exceeds expectations in the gender presentation, it loses out points in not revealing a central motivation for both the characters in the plot. Additionally, there are scattered stories and fragmented stock Exchange jargon that doesn’t make a coherent narrative. The storyline was supposed to focus on the stock market crash but never came around to it in a way that was impactful. It was barely addressed before the plot moved on.

While audiences can watch this show one time to satiate their desires in knowing that a show like this exists, they should be warned against having any expectations of that being fulfilled. It is shot exactly like a Netflix project and doesn’t stop to go beyond the budget assigned to them.

The Exchange is currently streaming on Netflix. What did you think of Farida and Munira’s relationship? Let us know in the comments below.

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