Nathan Fielder's first scripted project defies description. Sure, Nathan For You and The Rehearsal also fit that category, but The Curse takes cringe comedy to another level. And I wouldn't necessarily say I outright enjoyed it the way I did The Rehearsal or Nathan For You. I genuinely laughed at episodes 5 and 9. But I found myself totally baffled by most episodes, and made awkwardly uncomfortable by some. Yes, I understand that's the point but this was even much for me. The finale is the craziest hour of television ever.--opening with a spot-on recreation of a Rachael Ray segment. It was totally unpredictable, very difficult to interpret, and I have no idea how they managed to film those scenes. I have now read many an article deconstructing the finale and it's still beyond me. Fielder plays his signature deadpan self, the butt of many self-deprecating jokes. Benny Safdie is also a master of uncomfortable filmmaking, known for high anxiety movies like Good Time and Uncut Gems. As an actor, he plays out of his usual character as a sleazy reality show director--nothing like the wholesome dad or physicist he played last year. And most notably is Emma Stone, who can literally play anything. She has never been better.
