The Afterparty features an all-star comedic ensemble and a genre-bending approach to its murder mystery, making it one of the most unique TV shows I’ve seen in a while. Miller and his writing team use the high school reunion setting as a way to explore how people either cling to or want to escape who they were this leads to some genuinely heartfelt moments, including conversations between unexpected characters. Both Aniq and Yasper are looking for a second shot to achieve their dreams. Brett slowly realizes that his controlling nature drove a rift between him and Zoe. Chelsea wants revenge for how she was treated in high school. The biggest draw of The Afterparty, however, is how each story reveals a little bit about each character and the regrets or dreams they’ve carried with them. This results in some clunky dialogue (she literally says everyone is the star of their own movie, a rather hamfisted way to set up the premise) but also some genuinely well-placed pop culture references (she mentions having a crush on Steve Urkel). As Danner, Haddish has to somewhat dial down her usual energy to play the straight man to the rest of the ensemble. The most consistent characters in the show are Danner and Xavier, with the latter appearing mostly in flashbacks and providing some of the series’ best laughs, including an in-universe biopic about Hall and Oates co-starring Channing Tatum. Zoe is presented in various forms throughout the series, including the “dream girl” in Aniq’s story and the “one who got away” in Brett’s when it comes to her sequence, which is fully animated, the audience will finally see her as a human being with flaws and all. Chao, however, leans into the shifting element of the story the most. Schwartz brings the same jittery yet charming energy that made him a great fit for Sonic the Hedgehog and turns out to be a phenomenal singer. Richardson, Schwartz, and Chao are the standouts Richardson’s been great in films including Werewolves Within and The Tomorrow War, but now he gets to take center stage as Aniq works to clear his name-and figure out who drew on his face with magic marker-I couldn’t help but crack up every time the camera was close upon him. The series is also a great opportunity for the ensemble to stretch their acting chops, as everyone comes off differently in the various recollections. Miller directed the entirety of The Afterparty, and with each episode, he shifts gears and techniques Chelsea’s episode feels claustrophobic with shadows creeping in on her, and Brett’s episode features a dark blue filter with enough lens flares to make J.J. And in perhaps the most chilling episode, Chelsea’s testimony takes the form of a horror film. Brett’s testimony is a send-up of action movies. Yasper, who is an aspiring musician, tells his story like a musical complete with a Hamilton-inspired rap number about second chances. The Afterparty takes it to a new extreme, as each episode is told from a different character’s point of view and serves as a mini-movie of its own.Īniq, whose statement serves as the premiere episode, frames his recollection of the night as a romantic comedy featuring multiple attempts to win Zoe’s heart. And The Mitchells VS The Machines featured a father and daughter reconnecting during a machine uprising. Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse doubled as an origin story for Miles Morales, and a journey to discover who he was as an individual. The Lego Movie was a hero’s journey that deconstructed the very idea of the “chosen one”. Miller and his longtime creative partner Phil Lord (who also executive produces and even scripts an episode of The Afterparty) have shown they have a firm grasp on various genres, and how to tap into the deeper meaning behind each genre, with their various projects. As Danner conducts her investigation, Aniq works to solve the mystery and clear his own name when suspicion falls on him. The suspects include lovelorn Aniq ( Sam Richardson) his best friend Yasper ( Ben Schwartz) Aniq’s high school crush Zoe ( Zoe Chao) her ex-husband Brett ( Ike Barinholtz) the mysterious Indigo ( Genevive Angelson) loner Chelsea ( Ilana Glazer) and wallflower Walt ( Jamie Demetriou). Detective Danner ( Tiffany Haddish), who winds up in charge of the investigation, starts to interrogate everyone who was at the party. At an afterparty for his high school reunion, pop star Xavier ( Dave Franco) falls to his death on the cliffs below. The Afterparty is an Apple TV+ Original Series created by Christopher Miller and produced by Sony Television Studios & TriStar Television.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |