The Curse

I love Nathan Fielder, he's hilarious, and Emma Stone is a jewel in Hollywood so this is a very confusing show. It's well acted and in some ways it is humorous but I actually ended up feeling sorry for them when they surely were meant to be the butt of the joke. It reminds me of the British Office in that regard as David is not a nice person but he sort of endeers himself....but this just ends up seeming quite mean spirited and sad. Maybe I wanted more laugh out loud moments or calamitous situations but it is what it is. It is certainly unique and interesting, maybe it's just ahead of its time.

The 3 stars are purely for Emma Stone, who is doing her best with the material she's given. Otherwise, I'd have to rate this one star.

I'm not familiar with any of the other actors in this show, but I feel like with all the hype this has gotten, there must be superfans of their previous work who will love anything that these people put out.

But for me, cringey scenes do not automatically add up to comedy. And that's pretty much all I saw in the first episode. No humor whatsoever, just awkward situation after awkward situation -- as if we were being told, "Oh look, these otherwise nice people are being put into embarrassing, mortifying, and uncomfortable predicaments, pushed to their limits -- isn't that hilarious?" Well, no. No it isn't.

One episode was more than enough.

Nathan Fielder is a generational talent. He looks to have hit another cultural home run with the Curse. He has come up with a plan thanks to his really good business knowledge, which allows him to film himself being intimate with Emma Stone, I have a feeling we will see multiple versions of this.

I for one am here for it, if you are a Nathan for you fan or a Rehearsal fan, or a fan of his old spots from that Canadian news show, you absolutely owe it to yourself to check out anything he has done you haven't seen.

I look forward very greedily for upcoming episodes, if all 10 would have dropped I have no doubt I'd still be watching.

The Curse is a slow, long, and uncomfortable watch. There is not much of a through-plot in the series (the story is coherent, but does not have consistent, clear direction). If you go into this show for a story, you will be greatly disappointed.

The aspect of the show with the largest draw is the complex dynamics of the characters. Each lead character is deeply flawed, and the events of the show are primarily a way to explore these flaws. My viewing experience consisted of one part watching the episode followed by an equal part sitting and trying decode the characters' behaviors, helped along in many cases by the heavy use of metaphors and symbolism in the show.

The show is perplexing, in a way I happened to find entertaining. I would not expected it to be a particularly entertaining or enjoyable watch for a viewer whose brain isn't tickled in a similar way. I understand why people dislike the show, and most of their criticisms are perfectly valid.

I would recommend giving it a shot. If you do not connect with the first two or three episodes, you should know it will not improve. But if you connect with the style of the show, it is a fantastic experience.

When I mean uncomfortable I mean there's a lot of cringey moments in this show, but that's but makes it so good. The premise is really strong, a couple trying to modernize an old small town. The cast is absolutely flawless, especially Emma Stone as the wife. You can literally feel what the characters are feeling in every shot and look they give. It is a slow burn of a tv show but for this kind of plot it just works and never feels forced. Now of course this show hasn't been fully released and I'm just going off the first episode, but truly I can't wait to see the rest. This is a really good show.