Seth Rogen and AppleTV have given us one of the most savagely honest self portraits of modern Hollywood. This hilarious new series tears into everything wrong with the current state of the industry, while celebrating cinema and the vital role it plays in all our lives.
The series follows Matt Remick (Rogen) - a Hollywood executive recently promoted to head of Continental Studios. He finds himself torn between wanting to make good movies, and abandoning his cinematic values to make the studio a ton of money. Each episode works as a self contained story centred around a fictional new film or Hollywood event, with many real celebrities portraying themselves. The satire is scathing - inflated to a point where it’s not at all subtle in getting the point across. It’s absolutely hysterical, but its relevance isn’t lost among the comedic chaos.
This is one of my favourite series ensembles in a long time. The mix of some actors playing fictional characters and others playing exaggerated versions of themselves makes for comedy gold. Rogen is perfect as an every-man who just wants to have his work recognized, even if it makes him a little bit spineless in the process. The series regulars surrounding him include the always excellent Kathryn Hahn, a career best Ike Barinholtz, Chase Sui Wonders as a fiery up-and coming studio exec. The dynamic between these four characters is a huge part of what makes this series as hilarious as it is. Cathryn O’Hara and Bryan Cranston absolutely chew the scenery with their recurring roles as well.
All ten episodes are co-directed by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg. You wouldn’t expect a show like this to garner high praise for its direction, but The Studio constantly wows in this department. EVERY. SINGLE. EPISODE. is chock full of long, elaborately constructed takes that really pull you into the madcap energy the show exudes. It seems fitting that a show about moviemaking is so technically polished, and when I wasn’t howling at how damn funny it is, I was marvelling at how good it looks. You can really feel the admiration and disdain for the film industry through every episode. It’s also packed with plenty of clever TV and movie references. From Easter eggs, to genre homages to awards ceremonies, there’s plenty here for real cinephiles to appreciate.
The Studio revels in its viciously satirical depiction of the modern Hollywood machine. Not only is this one of the best series AppleTV has ever produced, it’s also one of the best new shows you’ll watch this year. The first two episodes are available March 26th, with new episodes landing weekly every Wednesday.
4.5/5