The Studio has quickly become one of the most talked-about shows running on Apple TV+. Created by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, this comedy series depicts the former as a newly-promoted studio executive who struggles with his job of making profitable movies while trying to make respectable and artistic films.
At a time when cinema has reached a troubling crossroads, The Studio has come and given much-needed laughs for audiences, especially those who love film and fear for the industry. In its first season, The Studio has achieved a near-perfect 95% Rotten Tomatoes score from critics, and it’s easy to see why. With its wacky cast of characters, insightful writing, and high production values, this series shows just how amazing and ridiculous Hollywood can be.
The characters are outstanding
Fans of The Office will really enjoy this show’s characters and its brand of humor. Seth Rogen successfully plays Matt Remick like Michael Scott goes to Hollywood. Though he’s the head of Continental Studios, he tries to drink everyone’s Kool-Aid and says yes to everyone, despite his better judgment. Thus, he fumbles every task he has in a neurotic and desperate attempt to make people like him, leading to several hysterical and cringe-inducing moments that derail whatever production he’s working on that week.
However, The Studio isn’t carried by Rogen alone. The series brings plenty of laughs from Matt’s inner circle. These supporting characters are played by comedy greats like Catherine O’Hara (Schitt’s Creek), Ike Barinholtz (History of the World, Part II), and Kathryn Hahn (Agatha All Along), who all bounce off each other and Rogen at hilarious, high speed. Much like Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Studio includes several Hollywood icons like Martin Scorcese, Ron Howard, Anthony Mackie, and Sarah Polley, who hold up exceedingly well as they play fictionalized versions of themselves.
It hits modern Hollywood hard
Many people are worried about the state of cinema in the modern age, as the industry seems more focused on making money instead of artistic, high-quality films. The Studio harnesses this anxiety to tackle the several different challenges that go with making a movie in Hollywood these days. Audiences have already pointed out similarities between the series and real-life Hollywood news in its first episode, which centers around the production of a film about Kool-Aid. It just shows how life imitates art.
The easy targets in the show are the bumbling, out-of-touch executives (particularly Bryan Cranston’s Griffin Mill) who try to micromanage everything in a movie production or simply try to make as much money as possible. However, The Studio also takes aim at the self-indulgent artists who go overboard with their craft with extraneous scenes, most notably with its third episode. Though the studio executives and the artists butt heads with each other, this series shows how cinema is meant to be a collaborative effort between both sides who balance each other out. All in all, the series presents a well-rounded satire of Hollywood and the dysfunction that goes on behind the scenes, showing how difficult it is to work in an industry of art and profit.
It’s a work of cinema itself
While The Studio repeatedly pokes fun at the cinema industry and all its ridiculous quirks and characters, it goes above and beyond to be a piece of cinema that movie lovers can enjoy. The fact that The Studio has a single-shot episode about making a single-shot scene is a meta, technical achievement that shows reverence for cinema while satirizing it.
This series is a glamorous, star-studded fever dream that hardly slows down. Each episode features glorious visuals and cinematography, with incredibly long takes and swift dialogue that leave viewers’ hearts racing as they try to contain their laughter. This makes the audience feel like they’re actually with the characters in the show as they struggle to navigate the fast-paced world of Hollywood with hysterically disastrous results.
The writing is comedy gold
Like Seinfeld or Curb Your Enthusiasm, anything and everything is a bomb full of laughs waiting to go off at any given moment. The tinniest detail in the show can lead to a whole bunch of mistakes and misunderstandings for Matt and his team. While this is bad news for them, it makes for comedy magic for the audience. It’s no surprise that The Studio has such meticulous and hilarious writing. Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg have spent decades perfecting their craft with projects like Superbad, This Is the End, The Interview, and Sausage Party, building up to this ode/mockery of Hollywood that could end up being their magnum opus.
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