Hal & Harper

Watched at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival.

Cooper Raiff created two movies that are some really smart and funny movies about men, relationships, and identity and this new upcoming series is Raiff's biggest project to date. For the first four episodes premiered at Sundance, Raiff still has a pretty good grip of what he explores on. Comedy, men, relationships, and bonds together in the nature settings. Unfortunately, unlike his previous works, I really didn't care much for this one.

Throughout, Raiff does apply some of his usual approaches and style with the themes, characters, and ideas. I do appreciate some of the themes Raiff was exploring but I found myself not really liking the characters, as unlike being funny and interesting, I mostly found the characters to be kind of boring and at times, unbearable. Almost as if they were annoying and filled with narcissism that makes them uninteresting.

With some of the pacing being off, the uses of cliches on the writing and tone makes it more unrealistic. Including some certain choices on the designs and portray being a bit weird that doesn't fully work. The performances of the cast are solid as everyone gives good emotions and expresses. But Raiff seems to kind of stretch out the narrative with moments that felt a bit overlong and overbearing.

Even though this is only four episodes and not completed, I personally found myself feeling as if this could have been another movie and it would probably be better than a show. Don't get me wrong, I like Raiff and I wish him very well with his newfound career and works. I love to see him keep going but this one just wasn't for me.

Cooper Raiff does a fantastic job at showing that grief doesn't always have a timeline or a simple beginning, middle and end. It can sneak up on you and present in a million different ways. The ensemble cast is so brilliant and takes on each of their stories unbelievably well. When I first read about the show, I figured it'd be an interesting watch but didn't think it would punch me in the face (in a good way) quite so hard.

Hal and Harper is definitely an interesting premise that I wasn't too sure about when it was first announced, however it's since grown on me and I adore it. It had happy and sad moments that involve both Hal and Harper and how their childhood has affected them as adults. Harper just trying to find her place and Hal trying to be an adult is comedic and heartfelt at the same time. The only part that I'm still not completely sure about was Lili and Cooper playing their childhood selves. The pair do an amazing job but it's still unnerving to see two adults in a room full of kids but I guess that's the point. I would recommend this show to people definitely especially if you're a Lili Reinhart fan!"

Excellent soundtrack and decent acting make it a watchable experience, but the pacing is incredibly slow like sitting through a five-hour indie film with no fast-forward button. The plot lines themselves aren't bad but one trope sticks out awkwardly and doesn't quite blend in with the rest.

It's the kind of show that's ideal if you're home sick and need something gentle to drift in and out of. Not a hate watch, just not gripping. Mark Ruffalo is always solid and the other main actors and bit parts are solid... but this might worked better as a tight, well-paced feature film than a stretched-out series.

They say 'holding hands is more important than crashing,' and in Cooper Raiff's messy, saccharine, beautiful, and self-aware series, Hal & Harper-less a show and more a feeling-you'll get a raw, bittersweet taste of just how true that is. It's delivered by characters stripped of their halos and laid bare, as Cooper Raiff's brand of bittersweetness Cha-Cha Real Smooth right over you.

Before you dive in, ditch the cynical quips. Unless your spirit's a brick wall, incapable of a raw whimper, hit 'off.' Otherwise, prepare to be gently moved by a story you think you know, handled with immense grace. In less capable hands, this could've drowned in melodrama, a real snooze-fest. But Cooper Raiff and crew, boosted by amazing performances, kick it way past its "seen-it-before" script.

Character Dives 1. Hal's Heart: Cooper Raiff, as Hal, injects a refreshing dose of himself into the familiar indie archetype. He's the ever-present brother, a sweet subversion of the usual dynamic. He'll grill Harper about her phone calls, a move some might call "overprotective" or "butthurt snob." But honestly, who gives a damn in this cynical world?

2. Ruffalo's Raw Grief: Mark Ruffalo is laid utterly bare as the single, grief-stricken dad, clinging to Nietzsche's abyss. For him, shower time is mostly pissed-off grief and anxious contemplation. Sure, he even has "SAFE" sex with a hooker, but it's undeniably sad. You'll feel pity and want to hug him, especially after Episode 6 where his grief is like his second skin.

3. Harper's Heartbreak: Lili Reinhart's Harper is a perennial misfit, a "slimeball" at times, yet with a fragile heart. Her dad and brother top her "FAVORITES" contacts. Like any normal human, she finds her own bathroom solitude, doing her "usual thing" (haha, masturbating). With sapphic relationships brewing, she also carries immense grief. Exquisitely beautiful, fragmented moments, like her imagining her baby brother in the bathtub, subtly reveal memory as a fluid, unpredictable beast.

Luckily, Hal (Cooper Raiff) is spared any bathroom-based existential ponderings. My theory? He'd be too busy "self-caring with his pecker," brainstorming, doomscrolling, or sparring with an arthouse snob. LOL.

It was genuinely funny when Hal, bruised from seeing his Asian chick with another guy, picks a fight and gets beaten. And I absolutely loved the "Elephant Man" reference. Of course, RIP David Lynch-I hope he's enjoying cherry pie and damn fine coffee wherever he is.

Another favorite cinematic nod is Cooper's desperate "Mission Impossible" movie night failing as Ruffalo and Betty Gilpin doze off and Reinhart looks bored. Cooper's raw reaction is precisely mine; my recent F1 marathons left me feeling the same way.

For literary nods: from Gabriel García Márquez's "One Hundred Years of Solitude" (seriously, read it if you love books, or check out the Netflix adaptation) to a sharp Sylvia Plath name-drop. Nothing says sibling intimacy like shared existential dread and literary flair.

Also, The episodes just start-no picturesque setups, just immediate, unvarnished momentum. The sound design is expertly amplified too.

The "School Stuff" & Downside: While Raiff and Lili Reinhart "cosplaying" as kids might be "cringe" for some, Raiff somehow makes it cool, avoiding typical Hollywood clichés and even finding magic in school conversations. He ditches flashy timelines for raw honesty, avoiding Milking the "I WAS THERE, I FEEL SEEN" pandering.

The downside: The tidy full circle in the last two episodes might be an "OMG FEELING" for some. I felt they wasted too much time (the Indian friend's house detour, music overkill). The non-linear storytelling is its strength and slight downfall, sometimes strangling itself. I personally enjoyed the approach, but a bittersweet ending would have been preferable to the Hollywood "TADA, Baby!" and overly convenient coincidences.

Nevertheless, this series might not be for everyone, but it's largely impressive. Even by indie standards, I highly recommend watching it! There's genuinely something for everyone, including some nice gags. I particularly enjoyed the writing at Hal's friend's granny's funeral-though I'd hoped for more gallows humor! I'm really excited to see what Cooper Raiff does next.