The Curse

a defining piece of art for the 2020s. i understand why almost no one watched it, but its such a shame that The Curse exists exclusively on unpopular streaming services (paramount+/showtime). the series' unconventionality and harsh nature would've been off-putting for the vast majority of viewers regardless, but the intentionality of its brazenness/awkwardness is so rewarding and never played for shock value… just so much depth in general and such a collision of passionate, talented, and inquisitive people at the peak of their powers, including:

• Nathan Fielder directing/co-leading in his most unique/thought-provoking project yet (which says a lot)  [edit: its a post-'The Rehearsal' season 2 world, and i still stand by this statement]
• Emma Stone delivering her best performance of 2023 (no shade, Poor Things)
• Benny Safdie reminding me, yet again, that i need to dive deeper into his filmography

at the end of the day, while it is a shame u need an obscure streaming subscription to watch it, im so grateful that the project was funded and developed with so much creative freedom. everyone should watch this show for many reasons, but most importantly:

• incredible acting
• experimental filmmaking elements (serves as great intro for ppl wanting to get into weird cinema)
• forces you out of comfort zone from a sociological/political perspective
• commentary on the soullessness of commercialized activism
• identifies what "selling out" looks like today and pushes back against how neoliberal society willingly condones (and often glorifies) those who decide to sell out
• nuanced, unabashed exploration of the modern pressures to act in a performative nature
• villianizes the subtle ways in which people in positions of power exploit minorities, service workers, etc.
• reminder that landlords suck
• overall just makes you sit with the absurdities of contemporary society and the ways in which we're complicit in the systems of oppression that exist in our world, especially in the context of capitalism and the entertainment industry

side note: the cast/crew did some really cool Q&As after each episode (this one featuring Fielder and Safdie was moderated by fucking Christopher Nolan lmao) that i encourage anyone with any level of interest/curiosity to check out.