The Curse (American TV series)

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The Curse
Genre
Created by
Written by
Directed by
Starring
Music by
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes10
Production
Executive producers
Producers
  • Inman Young
  • Joshua Bachove
  • Mary Beth Minthorn[4]
Production locationNew Mexico
CinematographyMaceo Bishop[5]
Editors
  • Adam Locke-Norton
  • Stacy Moon
Running time54–60 minutes
Production companies
Original release
NetworkShowtime
ReleaseNovember 12, 2023 (2023-11-12) –
present (present)

The Curse is an American satirical black comedy television series created and written by Nathan Fielder and Benny Safdie, and starring Emma Stone, Fielder and Safdie. It was filmed from June to October 2022 and premiered on streaming and on-demand for all Showtime and Paramount+ with Showtime subscribers on November 10, 2023, before making its on-air debut on Showtime on November 12.[6][7] Its first three episodes were premiered at the New York Film Festival on October 12, 2023.[8]

Premise

The series explores "how an alleged curse disturbs the relationship of a newly married couple as they try to conceive a child while co-starring on their problematic new HGTV show, Fliplanthropy."[9]

Cast

Main

  • Emma Stone as Whitney Siegel, the wife of Fielder's character and co-star of the HGTV show
  • Nathan Fielder as Asher Siegel, the husband of Stone's character and co-star of the HGTV show
  • Benny Safdie as Dougie Schecter, the producer of the HGTV show

Recurring

  • Corbin Bernsen and Constance Shulman as Paul and Elizabeth, Whitney's parents, who are unscrupulous landlords
  • Hikmah Warsame as Nala, a young girl who curses Asher and Whitney
  • Barkhad Abdi as Abshir, Nala's father
  • Dahabo Ahmed as Hani
  • Christopher Calderon as Fernando
  • Gary Farmer as James Toledo, Governor of the San Pedro Pueblo
  • Nizhonniya Austin as Cara, a Picuris Pueblo artist working with Whitney

Production

Development

The Curse was given the green-light by Showtime in February 2020. It was created and written by Nathan Fielder and Benny Safdie.[9] Safdie stated the series "started out as a 30-minute comedy and became an hour-long comedy-drama".[2]

Casting

In December 2020, Emma Stone joined the cast of the series.[10] In July 2022, Corbin Bernsen, Barkhad Abdi and Constance Shulman joined the cast.[11]

Filming

Principal photography took place in Santa Fe and Española, New Mexico from June 2022 to early October 2022.[12] American composer Daniel Lopatin is the scorer of the series, continuing his creative partnership with the Safdies.[13]

Score

Original score composed and performed by John Medeski.[14]

Episodes

No.Title [15]Directed byWritten by [16]Original air date [15]U.S. viewers
(millions)
1"Land of Enchantment"Nathan FielderNathan Fielder & Benny SafdieNovember 12, 2023 (2023-11-12)0.058[17]

Married couple Asher and Whitney Siegel work on the pilot for their New Mexico-based HGTV show Flipanthropy, which purports to use their property development company to help locals but is criticized for gentrifying the area. Asher snaps at interviewer Monica Perez when she brings up Whitney's parents Paul and Elizabeth's reputation as slumlords, and Perez agrees to not air the interview if he gives her proof of corruption on the gaming control board of his previous employer, the Whistling River casino.

Paul gives Asher advice on dealing with his small penis, leaving him furious that Whitney told her parents about their sexual problems. They make up and have BDSM sex in which Asher masturbates himself and uses a vibrator on Whitney while pretending to be a cuckold. Asher's friend and Flipanthropy producer Dougie Schecter has him give a hundred-dollar bill to young Nala, a street vendor, for B-roll, who "curses" him when he later forcibly takes it back. Whitney sees the footage and demands he give her the money. He cannot find her at a local homeless shelter and instead gives the money to a nearby single mother, while telling Whitney that Nala had lifted the curse after he paid her.
2"Pressure's Looking Good So Far"David Zellner & Nathan ZellnerStory by : Nathan Fielder & Benny Safdie & Carrie Kemper
Teleplay by : Carrie Kemper		November 19, 2023 (2023-11-19)N/A

Unable to procure Whistling River security footage for Perez, Asher clumsily infiltrates its office and covertly downloads footage from the pit boss' computer. Dougie goes on an awkward date, where he says his wife was killed in an accident while he was drunk driving, though he denies being responsible for the accident. While driving his date home, he tests his blood alcohol content and realizes he is over the legal limit, pulling over and walking her the rest of the way.

Whitney attends a Pueblo artist's gallery, but finds herself confused by the pieces and out of place socially. She and Asher are delighted to learn that she is pregnant, but quickly discover that it is an unviable ectopic pregnancy .
3"Questa Lane"David Zellner & Nathan ZellnerNathan Fielder & Benny SafdieNovember 26, 2023 (2023-11-26)N/A
4"Under the Big Tree"UnknownNathan Fielder & Benny SafdieDecember 3, 2023 (2023-12-03)N/A
5"It's a Good Day"UnknownNathan Fielder & Benny SafdieDecember 10, 2023 (2023-12-10)N/A
6"The Fire Burns On"UnknownNathan Fielder & Benny SafdieDecember 17, 2023 (2023-12-17)N/A
7"Self-Exclusion"UnknownNathan Fielder & Benny SafdieDecember 24, 2023 (2023-12-24)N/A
8"Down and Dirty"UnknownNathan Fielder & Benny SafdieDecember 31, 2023 (2023-12-31)N/A
9TBATBAStory by : Nathan Fielder & Benny Safdie & Carrie Kemper
Teleplay by : Nathan Fielder & Benny Safdie		TBATBD
10TBATBANathan Fielder & Benny SafdieTBATBD

Reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 92% of 51 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 8.5/10. The website's consensus reads: "A wickedly uncomfortable marriage of sensibilities between Nathan Fielder and Benny Safdie, with a masterful Emma Stone tying everything together, The Curse will make viewers cackle and squirm in equal measure."[18] On Metacritic, the series has a weighted average score of 75 out of 100, based on 31 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[19]

References

  1. ^ Bui, Hoai-Tran (November 6, 2023). "The Curse Pushes Past the Limits of Reality". Inverse. Retrieved November 10, 2023.
  2. ^ a b Guy, Zoe (October 13, 2023). "Nathan Fielder Can Put Out Fires With His Smile". Vulture. Retrieved November 10, 2023.
  3. ^ Travers, Ben (November 6, 2023). "'The Curse' Is an Exquisite, Excruciating Black Comic Wonder". IndieWire. Retrieved November 10, 2023.
  4. ^ "The Curse". Film Festival Cologne. Retrieved October 29, 2023.
  5. ^ "Maceo Bishop Resume" (PDF). Maceo Bishop. Retrieved October 29, 2023.
  6. ^ Goldberg, Lesley (December 10, 2020). "Emma Stone to Star in Showtime Comedy Series From the Safdie Brothers". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 18, 2020.
  7. ^ Bergeson, Samantha (September 26, 2023). "A24 Series 'The Curse' with Emma Stone, Nathan Fielder, and Benny Safdie Sets Release Date". IndieWire. Retrieved September 26, 2023.
  8. ^ Tingley, Anna (October 13, 2023). "Nathan Fielder and Benny Safdie's TV Show 'The Curse' Makes History at New York Film Festival: 'Everything About It Screams Cinema to Me'". Variety. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
  9. ^ a b Andreeva, Nellie (February 18, 2020). "Showtime Orders 'The Curse' Comedy Pilot From the Safdie Brothers & Nathan Fielder". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 9, 2023.
  10. ^ White, Peter (December 10, 2020). "Emma Stone To Star In Comedy Series 'The Curse' From Nathan Fielder & Safdie Brothers For Showtime". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 18, 2020.
  11. ^ Otterson, Joe (July 7, 2022). "Showtime Comedy Series 'The Curse' Casts Corbin Bernsen, Barkhad Abdi, Constance Shulman (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved July 7, 2022.
  12. ^ Vitu, Teya (January 3, 2023). "New Showtime comedy series finishes filming in Santa Fe". The New Mexican. Archived from the original on January 4, 2023. Retrieved January 9, 2023.
  13. ^ Buckley, Nick (June 28, 2023). "This musician is finding inspiration in AI's 'dumb' moment". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved July 22, 2023.
  14. ^ Breihan, Tom. "Oneohtrix Point Never & John Medeski Are Scoring Nathan Fielder & Benny Safdie's The Curse". Stereogum. Retrieved November 21, 2023.
  15. ^ a b "Shows A-Z – curse, the on showtime". The Futon Critic. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
  16. ^ "The Curse – WGA Directory". Writers Guild of America West. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
  17. ^ "The Curse: Season One Ratings". TV Series Finale. November 15, 2023. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
  18. ^ "The Curse: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
  19. ^ "The Curse: Season 1". Metacritic. Retrieved November 14, 2023.

External links

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