Reel Review from SXSW 2025: The Studio Shines With Witty Banter, One Shot Episodes, and Anxiety Inducing Performances
Matt Remick (Seth Rogen) is newly appointed to be the head of Continental Studios, a major movie studio and a goal he has had his entire life. Desperate for celebrity approval and studio success, he and his executive team attempt to juggle corporate demands with creative ambitions as they try to make movies with mass appeal but cater to artistic expression as well.
For a cinephile myself, this show lived up to exactly what I wanted it to be. An A-list cast all delivering the best performances, some even playing themselves like Martin Scorsese. A jumpy score that keeps you anxious but intent on what is happening. A world of drama and politics that all rely on the business of making movies, not so much art. If you’ve been even the least bit tuned into the media landscape in recent years, it appears to be majority remakes, reboots, and spinoffs that deliver guaranteed audiences and minimal risks.
The pilot sucks you right into the world of glitz and glamor that can be the job of making movies, but also the business and political side of how things actually get done. Being a studio executive seems like a cushy job until you see how they get treated on set by the artists. They have to manage the demands of far too many contradictory opinions all while making a profit, a task that seems unachievable. Seth Rogen however, has the ability to create a character that is so worth rooting for that you cannot help but hope he is able to pull it off. His hopes and dreams of creating pieces of art that have something to say is still alive behind the business hat he must put on.
The second episode details the process in which it takes to produce a single shot scene. In this case, it is a dramatic sunset walkout during a film’s final scene. On his visit to set, Matt must balance his powerful stance with being a casual observer. His inability to sit down and watch throws a wrench in the production that seemingly ruins the scene that was so meticulously planned. While the finished product we as viewers often see, takes far more work than we can even imagine.
The series is set to guest star an insane amount of familiar faces including Aaron Sorkin, Adam Scott, Anthony Mackie, Antony Starr, Charli D’Amelio, Charlize Theron, Dave Franco, David Krumholtz, Derek Wilson, Devon Bostick, Greta Lee, Ice Cube, Jean Smart, Jessica Clements, Jessica St. Clair, Johnny Knoxville, Josh Hutcherson, Kit Hoover, Larry Brown, Lil Rel Howery, Lisa Gilroy, Lucia Aniello, Martin Scorsese, Olivia Wilde, Paul Dano, Paul W. Downs, Peter Berg, Quinta Brunson, Ramy Youssef, Rebecca Hall, Ron Howard, Sarah Polley, Steve Buscemi, Sugar Lyn Beard, Ted Sarandos, Zac Efron, Zack Snyder, Ziwe and Zoë Kravitz. With this many guest faces it is hard to see how the season couldn’t get better as it goes.
The Studio is a proper ode to the industry many of us adore while also commenting on its many modern flaws. It is an inside look on the broken system that has led us to the media landscape we live in now while adding a layer of comedy and anxiety into the mix. If you are a fan of movies, this show is for you.
The Studio is streaming on Apple TV+.
