Welcome to what should be the final installment of these quick reviews for the time being. It’s taken a while, but I feel confident that I’ll have some full reviews on newer shows coming next week. As for this installment, we’ve got an OnlyFans dramedy, a dark look at male masculinity, and a small Massachusetts island that might be cursed.
Admittedly, calling Margo’s Got Money Troubles an “OnlyFans dramedy” is a tad misleading. Sure, the risque subscription service plays an integral part in the story, but there’s so much more than the label implies. After getting knocked up by her English professor, Margo (Elle Fanning) does indeed run into money troubles, and she turns to OnlyFans as a surprisingly useful way to make money. At its core, the series is a family drama with some spice added in. That spice often leads to the show’s funniest moments, but the writing never looks down on Margo or the other sex workers she encounters.
That humanist spirit applies to the rest of the cast as well. Margo’s estranged parents, Jinx (Nick Offerman) and Shyanne (Michelle Pfeiffer) are particular highlights. Offerman and Pfeiffer provide great foils for each other, and Fanning leans on both in different circumstances. With a great cast that also includes appearances from Greg Kinnear, Nicole Kidman, and Marcia Gay Harden, Fanning remains the standout. Margo may be impulsive and a bit naïve, but she’s also determined to carve out a place for herself despite what others think. Her struggles are the story, but the victories, however small, are what keep you watching.
Margo’s Got Money Troubles is currently streaming on Apple TV.
Final Verdict: Tune In
Half Man
How bleak is too bleak? Half Man, Richard Gadd’s follow-up to Baby Reindeer, often feels designed to test the limits of that question. Gadd drops the black comedy this go, but adds even more psychological tension. The series follows Niall (Mitchell Robertson), a shy, closeted teen forced to live with his violent half-brother, Ruben (Stuart Campbell). The series follows a non-linear path through their lives up to adulthood, where Niall and Ruben (Jamie Campbell and Richard Gadd, respectively) continue to struggle with themselves in various ways.
As with his previous work, Gadd tackles some heavy themes here, specifically toxic masculinity and repression. The problem is that the story’s point feels well made before we get anywhere near the conclusion. There just doesn’t seem to be enough material for 6 hour-long episodes. Instead, Half Man ramps up the dourness to an unpleasant degree. The intent is to drive the themes home in the audience’s mind, but it only exposes the flimsy plot holding it all together.
Half Man is currently streaming on HBO Max.
Final Verdict: Tune Out
Widow’s Bay
There’s something wrong with Widow’s Bay. The fictional island town is the setting for the titular Apple TV show and home to a curse that has spooked many of the locals. Regardless, Mayor Tom Loftis (Matthew Rhys) is determined to turn the place into a tourist attraction. Therein lies the central premise of Widow’s Bay as Tom deals with hesitant locals and his own growing fear that the curse is real. That’s enough foundation for a solid TV show, but creator Katie Dippold and her team don’t stop there.
Part of what makes the horror/comedy combo of Widow’s Bay work is how seamlessly the show transitions between the two genres. You buy the terror these characters experience while also appreciating the absurdity of it all. It helps to have the likes of Stephen Root and Kate O’Flynn in your cast. Rhys’ chemistry with Root’s outspoken local is a particular delight. O’Flynn, meanwhile, ends up being one of the year’s surprise stars as Tom’s assistant Patricia. On top of all that, you have fantastic direction from Hiro Murai, Andrew DeYoung, and even an episode by Ti West that toes the line between genres beautifully. All in all, Widow’s Bay is the biggest surprise of the year so far. The island might not be the next Martha’s Vineyard, but it’s well worth a stay.
Widow’s Bay is currently streaming on Apple TV.