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As of late, Netflix has been bringing the proverbial house, blitzing its viewers with original content ranging from television shows and documentaries all the way to some really weird Adam Sandler movies. I finished the eight-episode show Easy, which premiered last Friday, in just two days. If you’re a fan of any of Joe Swanberg’s films, you’re going to love this show. Swanberg wrote and directed every episode of Easy and they all take place in different pockets of Chicago, much like his movies. Emily Ratajkowski, Marc Maron, Orlando Bloom, and Dave Franco are just a few familiar faces who you will recognize in various episodes, but I’ll fully admit that it’s not going to be universally loved like a Game Of Thrones or Stranger Things is.
Swanberg is relatively well known for his moves Drinking Buddies, Happy Christmas, and Digging For Fire. His movies, and as an extension, this television show, are labeled what critics call “mumblecore.” Mumblecore is merely a subgenre of independent film, wherein the dialogue of the characters is often improvised, the production is low-budget, and a plotline of any kind is sometimes only vaguely there or non-existent. Swanberg focuses on the monotony of everyday life and the struggles that ordinary people go through as they begin to raise families or become homeowners. Most of his movies take place in or around Chicago, so it’s no surprise that Easy eight episodes were all filmed there.
Each episode of Easy has its own theme, and they are all focused on sex and relationships. Unlike Judd Apatow’s Love, where there are two (in my opinion incredibly annoying) main characters and one central theme, Easy gives it’s audience fresh characters with each thirty-minute episode. Each episode stands on its own, usually ending with a moralistic question for the viewer that says more about you, the person watching than it does about the character(s) in the show.
We meet a couple who can see that the end is near for their relationship in one episode, an author struggling to understand millennials in another. Marc Maron had one of my favorite performances alongside Emily Ratajkowski. As with any show, there are some really great characters and a few who are downright insufferable. But what I liked most about this series was the fact that every episode is totally different. You can get a look into what a relationship is like for a couple in their late 30s with two kids or take a glimpse into what it’s like for a 20-something lesbian who is finding it difficult to be herself around a new girlfriend.
A couple of the episodes have recurring characters, but the stories are all different and in a few of them nothing of real significance happens. That is what I like about Swanberg and the stuff that he chooses to direct. Real life is slow and boring. It’s a slog a lot of the time with brief moments of excitement or drama, and I think Swanberg is able to capture this just as well as anyone else that is directing right now.
He’s directed huge stars like Anna Kendrick and Olivia Wilde in his movies, and even though he’s got some pretty recognizable names in this show, it’s important to note that two of the best episodes in this series centered around 2 or 3 people tops and none of them were household names. There’s one episode spoken entirely in Spanish that will leave you shaking your head and wondering if infidelity is a bigger problem in our society than we’re led to believe. I’d compare Easy, with it’s sometimes frustrating characters, obvious improv, and strange stories to HBO’s High Maintenance. Swanberg has a very distinct approach towards directing, and if you’re trying to get into a tv show that is entirely different from the norm Easy is an excellent choice. And at eight, thirty-minute episodes, it’s not like you’re entering into some long, drawn-out period drama. It’s just a fun romp (centered around sex) through some really hip neighborhoods in Chicago.
You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and you’ll be happy you watched it..
Image via Youtube
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jduda@grandex.co
Drinking Buddies was way darker than I thought it would be going in.
I think I’d rather watch Game 6 of the 2011 World Series again than anything that could be described as “mumblecore”.
Best. Postseason. Game. Ever.
It brought me a lot of joy.
We still have support group meetings in DFW.
I’m a Blues fan, so I understand the pain.
It’s still too soon to even mention.
Sounds like Emily Ratajkowski is the main selling point to Duda here.
Chicago in the winter is my guess.
I watched it all too. Can confirm its good. At least one episode, but probably more, will hit everyone awfully close to home in one way or another.
How many hours a week do you work to have the time to watch all these shows?
They’re probably allowed to watch shows at work if they say it’s for a column.
The 2nd episode is everything that annoys me about those holier than thou vegans
Another perspective, from a fellow Chicagoan: overall give the series a meh C+.
A lot of things are tried here, some work while most are a swing and a miss. The Controlada (features questionable sexual assault scene) and Dave Franco episodes will stick with you. However, others are so insufferably pretentious (Emily Ratjkowski and Vegan Cinderella episodes) or uneventful (pilot episode), that it doesn’t seem to make up for the few good episodes.
It seems like they wanted to explore a lot of topics with love and relationships, but should’ve stuck with one topic and done it well instead of a lot of mediocre ones.
Yeah Chicago is cool to see, and sometimes is almost a character itself. Altogether though, I wouldn’t say it’s great personally. I think your love for the sanguine and homesickness might be influencing your take, Duda.
I’m just a big fan of the director. You should watch Happy Christmas. One of my favorite movies.
Decided to watch it last night. Really was a hell of a movie.
Alos, tiki bars in the basement seem to be a director trademark of Joe Swanberg, since they were in both Happy Christmas and the Orlando Bloom/ Malin Akerman episode of Easy. Or a tiki bar in the basement is just awesome.
I’ll give it a shot.
High Maintenance just does it so much better though
Malin Akerman’s episode runs circles around the Ratajkowski episode.
Johnny before I take your advice I need to know your opinion on Bojack Horseman