A comedy series starring Emma Stone about the chaotic production of a home renovation reality show? At first it sounds like funny serial entertainment. But far from it! The Curse is a masterpiece of discomfort and one of the strangest series of the year. From November 11th you can see for yourself on Paramount+ * – if you dare.
Series highlight with Emma Stone: What is The Curse?
A look at the creators behind the camera reveals that The Curse cannot be an ordinary comedy series. The project was created by Benny Safdie and Nathan Fielder. While Safdie and his brother made unpleasantly stressful films like the Netflix thriller The Black Diamond, Nathan Fielder was responsible for one of the best and most disturbing series of last year: The Rehearsal.
Watch the German trailer for The Curse here:
The Curse – S01 Trailer (German) HD
But what is The Curse all about? The plot follows Asher (Nathan Fielder) and Whitney (Emma Stone), who have been married for a year. They want to promote the community of Espanola, New Mexico, which is predominantly inhabited by socially disadvantaged people of color, by buying up land and building modern, artistic and energy-efficient properties on it. Together with TV producer Dougie (Benny Safdie), they want to present their involvement in the reality show “Fliplantrophy” to the world.
But what does this have to do with a curse? During filming, the couple never misses an opportunity, no matter how shameless, to portray themselves as do-gooders. So Asher gives $100 to a girl selling drinks in a parking lot in front of the camera. When the camera is off again, he demands the money back, which little Nala doesn’t like at all. She curses him without further ado. Whether real or not: the couple’s life sinks into chaos from then on.
They deserve it. From the outset, The Curse exposes the staged generosity of Whitney and Asher. Her perfect marriage, her personality and her painfully branded smile is – like the mirrored facade of her grotesque sci-fi home – just a distorted self-image that distracts (herself) from her own character.
But good will does not make a good person. Just like believing that you have been cursed does not make a curse real. Or maybe yes?
An extraordinary series experience on the verge of tolerability
If you’re looking for a captivating plot and laugh-out-loud jokes, you won’t be happy with The Curse. The series is much more of a cringe comedy with an experimental and unusual narrative style Crosses the boundaries of shame and pain with pleasure.
Paramount+
Nathan Fielder and Emma Stone in The Cruse
Whitney and Asher are so fake friendly and politically correct that it hurts. And when they intrude as white saviors into the lives of people who clearly don’t want it, The Curse bolsters the cringe factor with uncomfortable truths and deeper messages.
No matter whether unexpected outbursts of anger, micropenis conversations, Emma Stone’s uncomfortably distorted permanent grin or a problematic burn victim dating show: The Curse never misses an opportunity to squeeze the maximum amount of discomfort and awkwardness out of every scene.
The Curse is an unforgettable serial nightmare
The staging plays a big part in this. The Curse blurs the boundaries between reality and fiction through voyeuristic images. With the aesthetics of a hidden camera, we always look from a distance – whether through window panes or bushes – at moments that are not intended for our eyes and ears.
Thanks to the production, music and acting, a situation develops that is almost unbearable unpleasant atmosphere that threatens to tip over into the horror genre at any moment.
This is certainly too much for some viewers. However, anyone who bravely faces the 10 one-hour (!) episodes will be rewarded with a unique and physical series experience that you won’t be able to forget in a hurry – just like the completely crazy WTF finale, which is kept in the greatest secrecy until it is broadcast.
The 10-episode miniseries The Curse has been released weekly on Paramount+ since November 11, 2023. The entire season served as the basis for this series check.
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