Critic Reviews

This is a very assured show, the kind where a left-field backstory or character trait doesn’t come off like a tacked-on quirk or distraction but rather the heart of what makes it so wonderful to watch in the first place.

“DTF St. Louis” breaks down its crude acronym until it isn’t disagreeable anymore. At times, it’s downright aspirational. Perhaps best of all, it’s also very, very funny.

HBO only sent four of seven episodes for review, but if it sticks the landing — and it probably will — it will be one of the best shows of the year.

For a show that’s routinely funny and intriguing, DTF St. Louis is startlingly insightful and moving.

As much as “DTF St. Louis” suggests that loneliness and the absence of healthy, rewarding male friendships are a pox on American men, the show likewise critiques paths that lead them to damnation: social media apps that crater one’s confidence with arguably greater efficacy than fulfilling the “social” part of the label.

It won’t be for everyone, but if you enjoy shows like FX’s Fargo and HBO’s own The Chair Company, it’s worth getting down with DTF.

While it never succumbs to the bloat so common in the genre, there are times when the pace feels designed more for stretching out to a season than it should, but they’re just far enough apart to never completely derail momentum.

“DTF” is a funny, lurid and creepingly compassionate watch.

Those who want to scratch their “White Lotus” itch without the mouth-watering scenery should be “DTW” (that is, Down to Watch).

Everyone here has an odd, difficult part – especially once the whimsy has worn off – and making them congruent as well as believable individually is an achievement all of its own. You may well find yourself DTFinishing the whole thing in a single watch.