TV review: Mr. Corman
Here is a warning for anyone creating a series: Your audience is not captive. Get to the point.
This comedy-drama currently streaming on Apple TV+ has a strong contender for the worst opening episode ever.
And watch out for the comedy-drama label. There is nothing approaching humour in any of the episodes currently available.
In fact, for the first episode, close to nothing happens. You hope it will get going, but it just hangs around listlessly. It is like being stood up by a plot.
Josh Corman (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is a 30-something teacher - in a malaise and with a funk of regret about his ditched music career - going about his day.
It is very much in the vein of US indie dramas where a borderline personality disorder has a quarter-life crisis.
Aside from a glimmer of invention when his world briefly becomes animated, there is nothing to hold your attention.
Creator Gordon-Levitt – who also wrote and directed the pilot – has taken a gamble on a slow-to-no burn. A gamble so misguided it's like putting money on a dead horse.
Had this not been for a review, I would not have bothered with the second episode – which would be a shame, because that is a much better introduction.
It focuses on Josh suffering a panic attack. This not only gives the story focus but allows for some impressive use of sound design to put across the anxiety and isolation.
It might even be enough to spark interest in the rest of Mr. Corman if the initial slow burn has not frozen all interest.
MR. CORMAN (M18)
Score : 2/5
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