by Jason Mack, Contributing Writer
There is something special about watching a streaming series lampooning the behind-the-scenes antics of the film industry. The Studio manages to find a balance between over-the-top and believable, as it utilizes an age-old format of featuring irredeemable characters as protagonists.
Why do we enjoy not enjoying ourselves? While it might not reach Curb Your Enthusiasm levels of cringe (what ever could?), The Studio excels at making you uncomfortable.
The show stars Seth Rogen as idealistic, recently promoted studio head Matt Remick, who is determined to create quality cinema. But he’s also determined to make whatever consolations necessary to keep his job, and there are plenty.
Joining him with plenty of equally questionable decision making along the way are former studio head Patty Leigh (Catherine O’Hara), vice president Sal Saperstein (Ike Barinholtz), junior executive Quinn Hackett (Chase Sui Wonders), and head of marketing Maya Mason (Kathryn Hahn). Meanwhile, Bryan Cranston is underutilized but hilarious as CEO Griffin Mill. The series also boasts an impressive lineup of guest appearances of people playing themselves, including Steve Buscemi, Ice Cube, Zac Efron, Dave Franco, Ron Howard, Johnny Knoxville, Zoë Kravitz, Anthony Mackie, Martin Scorsese, Adam Scott, Zack Snyder, Aaron Sorkin, Charlize Theron, and many more.
The core characters are awful people. That’s largely the point, highlighting the everyone-for-themselves Wild West which drives the magic behind Hollywood. Matt represents the best of them, as he is well-intentioned but highly flawed. The rest are essentially vultures looking out for themselves and the bottom line.
So why is something so unpleasant so fun to watch? The short answer is escapism. There is a thrill in watching characters say and do things you never could. Seinfeld popularized the idea, and we have countless examples since then highlighted by Arrested Development, Curb Your Enthusiasm, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Veep and more. Much of these characters’ corrupt actions are in service of a great, overarching story for the season, with Matt and the studio forced to develop a Kool-Aid movie as their tentpole project. It is a perfect foil to Matt’s passion for producing classic cinema.
The embarrassment of riches in the cast is both a blessing and a curse. Many actors are underutilized, but it also means the episodes are packed wall-to-wall with top-notch performances. Barinholtz and Hahn are one-note characters, but they excel at that one note when called upon.
The two most underutilized actors I would have liked to see more from are O’Hara and Cranston. Both are genius comedic actors who could easily lead the show, and they steal the scene in every opportunity they are given. Cranston is barely seen until the final two episodes, but the payoff is worth it once he’s finally let off the leash, with his character being completely unhinged.
Credit is also deserved for the craftsmanship. Even if you aren’t interested in the series as a whole, you should watch the second episode. It is a meta exploration of oners that itself is done in a single, continuous take. Desperate to be liked, Matt insists on visiting set — despite everyone else’s best efforts to keep him away — as an awards contender movie prepares to shoot a key oner that wraps the film. With shooting planned at sunset, there is little room for error, and Matt’s presence devolves everything into brilliant chaos.
Many scenes throughout the series feature long takes. The actors were clearly trusted to run with the material and improvise a good deal, and that consistently pays off.
I have doubts about the long-term sustainability of this show’s concept, but I would absolutely be on board for at least one more season. If nothing else, I would love a prequel episode giving O’Hara and Cranston the runway to excel.
Rating: Loved It
The Studio is currently streaming on Apple TV+
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