Every so often, a shift in the type of media we ingest occurs. As culture changes, so does the way artists intend to reflect that culture through their art. "The Curse" is a prime example of a show that could not have existed twenty years ago and maybe won't exist twenty years from now. It is a naked look at the times we live in currently and offers entertainment that can only be understood in the context of the here and now.
It may not be immediately obvious what "The Curse" is about. The show follows Nathan Fielder as Asher Siegel and Emma Stone as his newlywed wife, Whitney Siegel, as they navigate the ins and outs of developing a successful reality show based on building sustainable homes in low-income neighborhoods. For what it's worth, that's what the show is about...and also not at all what the show is about.
Through a cascading series of events, the Siegels, along with their producer and friend Dougie (played by Benny Safdie, who serves as co-creator with Fielder), find themselves potentially cursed by a local girl, which leads to the unraveling of not only their relationships but seemingly the bounds of reality as well.
What stands out about "The Curse" is, firstly, the performances. Fielder, Stone, and Safdie are picture-perfect embodiments of their less-than-picture-perfect characters. Safdie plays an emotionally stunted and often maliciously manipulative man-child, Stone an outwardly caring but deeply selfish and narcissistic do-gooder, and Fielder an awkward man who doesn't truly deserve the trouble that comes his way.
The bizarre relationships of these three characters, coupled with the added pressure of trying to start a television show and run a business all while staying front and center of a reality camera, bring one level of absurdity to the show that is a facet of our time. However, it truly is the reaction that "The Curse" intends to draw from its audience that makes it not only timely but also special.
Cringe humor may have, reasonably, existed in some form before "The Curse," but no show, film, book, or any other media before it has come close to what Fielder and Safdie create on the show. There is almost a sense of dread going into each episode as you prepare yourself to watch Asher go through another set of indignities set upon him by his friend, wife, and, of course, himself, with absolutely little to no grace whatsoever. The character is strange and awkward and, at every turn, seems to make the worst possible decision for himself.
Fielder, who is no stranger to devising awkward situations to put himself and others in, plays this role so effectively that the constant feeling of cringe or shame to watching Asher is primarily what drives the show forward.
There truly hasn't been a brand of comedy quite like this before; it's bordering on being revolting. Audiences usually fall on either side that this is the worst show ever committed to the screen or it's a masterpiece that deserves to be lauded for its fearless approach to being unapproachable.
We are lucky to see a new way of entertainment seemingly plucked out of thin air. To watch Fielder, Safdie, and Stone toss, churn, and mix this new humor like some sort of alchemic experiment is a pleasure. It is so rare to witness the birth of something new, even if the something new is hard to look at.
Stone's performance alone is worth the price of admission. She tackles every strange nuance of her character with such precise efficacy that it isn't like watching a character, but rather, the audience feels like just a strange Vouyer into these people's lives. We should look away; it's perverse and odd, but the more we don't want to watch, the more we have to.
Like anything groundbreaking, "The Curse" will be remembered as controversial at best. Nothing truly masterful is met with resounding applause, from the seatbelt to vaccines, there will always be controversy in breaking new ground.
Those of us who are able to see the beauty in something like "The Curse" are better for it because it allows us to look inwardly and ask questions that maybe we were too afraid to ask ourselves. Some of us are more Asher than we'd like to admit and others more like Whitney than we would confess to in polite company, and that is well worth the price of the dripping layer of uncomfortable societal displacement that the show so readily serves up.
My Verdict: 8/10
Comments