The Curse (2023)

The Curse is one of the most exquisite, excruciating pieces of entertainment I have watched, though entertainment might be the wrong word for this social satire that considers wealth, race and gentrification (“The G word!”) and veers between Fargo and a demented Grand Designs.

Rooted in strong writing and directing from Fielder and David and Nathan Zellner, the three central performances – including Emma Stone's – push this boundary-crushing series to cruel and dark yet magical places.

There is so much to say about this dizzingly ambitious gem of a series, and yet saying too much would be doing the viewer a disservice (and defying Showtime's spoiler policy). As hack as it is to say about a TV show, it makes for a uniquely cinematic experience and one of the most original series of the year.

For a series with such naked thematic ambitions, “The Curse” proves surprisingly moving, largely due to the depth of feeling that Asher reveals as his relationship disintegrates.

The Curse is not for everyone, but in general, it’s a lot more approachable than some of Fielder’s and Safdie’s other works. The series features such precise filmmaking and multi-layered storytelling that it naturally appeals to many different audiences.

In its early episodes, the show hits its targets with confident precision—it’s acidly funny and savagely heartbreaking. But eventually, all that sardonic miserablism gets the better of the show. Safdie and Fielder wander further into abstraction, suggesting that they’re maybe not taking things as seriously as they should be. The Curse carefully recognizes a fine line only to recklessly flout it later. The trouble is, I still don’t know if that was the whole point all along.

Although The Curse pulls it off in specific set pieces, the whole of it quickly starts to dawdle. The series hops unevenly between various plot threads — the curse, the TV production, the gentrification the couple refuses to call by its name, the strain on Whitney and Asher’s marriage, their ambivalence over conceiving a child, the fraying community support, a confusing and underdeveloped story involving Asher and a local casino.

This show is not for everyone. Fans of Nathan Fielder's previous works (Nathan for You, The Rehearsal) will be a bit thrown off by The Curse. While I did find numerous moments to laugh, I mostly felt uncomfortable watching this. If you don't like A24 films, the art-house style, or those types of productions you probably won't enjoy The Curse. I know how pretentious that comes across, but I do think that distinction is necessary in understanding how this series is received. Many people don't like this style because they "don't get it". Which is completely valid. And that's not to say it's over their head, it's more so saying they aren't watching entertainment for that purpose. Again, consume your media the way you want to. Personally, I watch a very broad range of content and much of it is only for entertainment. Perhaps the difference here is, while many shows are self-contained in their messages, The Curse is (trying) to say more than the plot or the characters are depicting onscreen. All that aside, the acting, writing, cinematography, music, everything just feels so well crafted. It feels like everything has a purpose. Emma Stone is incredible. Benny Safdie is a gem. Nathan Fielder does start off poor in comparison, but improves tremendously as the series progresses. If you haven't seen the Jimmy Kimmel interview with Fielder and Stone promoting the show, I highly recommend watching that. The Curse is the type of show that makes you feel strange while watching it. While I admit that it's not for everyone, I think there's something to take away from the series. Even if that's only a feeling of unsettling confusion.

After Nathan Fielder's last 2 shows, i expected The Curse to be a smart and hilarious 10/10. Instead...... um. Well, it's funny on occasion. It's probably the weirdest thing to come around since Beau is Afraid. Just as often painful to watch as it is genuinely entertaining. It's a frustrating show. Not BAD, but not fun either.

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]

(Mauro Lanari) "A24 + Safdie + Fielder = Amazing TV Series"? True for those who have renounced existential research and wallow in pollyannistic nihilistic defeatism, otherwise the topics covered (the artifice of reality television, gentrification, cultural appropriation, white privilege, Native American rights, sustainable capitalism, Judaism, pathological altruism, virtue signalling, marriage, and parenthood) are of unbeareable irrelevance. Black comedy that isn't humorous at all and that Nolan idolizes.

Emma Stone is the only good thing about this show. I don't understand how so many people apparently think if a show is full of nothing but awkward situations, it's automatically funny. There has to be more than just making the characters -- and the audience -- feel uncomfortable. I get that they were trying to make a satirical commentary here, but for me, it failed miserably.