Ronit J

The Studio Synopsis:

Follows a legacy Hollywood movie studio striving to survive in a world where it is increasingly difficult for art and business to live together.

The Studio Review:

I’m going to start out by saying that I absolutely love Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg’s work. They have a uniquely quirky style that’s the perfect balance of slapstick, absurd, dark, and edgy to scratch that comedy itch for me. Plus, the premise of The Studio is one of those things that I am deeply passionate about—cinema. I’m going to do my best to be neutral in my review, but do keep in mind when reading that I am myself a filmmaker and a cinephile, very much like the characters in this show minus the billion-dollar deals under my belt.

The show follows Matt Remick (Seth Rogen), who is made the head of Continental Studios (one of Hollywood’s biggest movie makers). His cast of supporting executives include Patty Leigh (Catherine O’Hara), whose job Matt gets after she is fired, Matt’s best friend, Sal Saperstein (Ike Barinholtz), Quinn Hackett (Chase Sui Wonders), Matt’s assistant who’s promoted to an executive, and head of marketing Maya Mason (Kathryn Hahn). Over the course of the show, our characters deal with hilarious filmmaking antics, movie business decisions, and more.

A Cinephile’s Wet Dream

Martin Scorsese, Ron Howard, Paul Dano, Adam Scott, Zoë Kravitz, Aaron Sorkin, and that doesn’t even cover half of the list of A-list cameos in The Studio. And the cameos barely even scratch the surface of how chock-full of cinema references this show is.

As a filmmaker, I could relate to the high-stakes on-set environment that the Studio presented in its episodes. From Sarah Polley trying her best to get her ‘Oner’, to the film vs digital argument on Olivia Wilde’s set, the Studio has done total justice to the spirit of filmmaking. Not only are the episodes accurate in their depictions, they’re sharp, witty, and comically absurd in the process. A show about filmmaking in all its glory and ego, the show presents almost every aspect of big budget Hollywood.

Now, my filmmaking has been limited to very low-budget indie features, so I can’t comment on the realism of the studio executive parts, but the mockery was no less scathing than the on-set portions. The Studio resonates with the the masses, commenting on everything from pointless reboots, IP franchises, racism, and more. All whilst keeping the plot fresh, conflicts interesting, and its characters innately human.

The Ultimate Punch-Up

Vir Das once said that one of the key differences in comedy in India and the West is that the West constantly punches up. And The Studio is a prime example of it. Not only does the show present a cast of uber-rich, ultra-powerful studio executives, but it also shows them as deeply flawed individuals. They’re greedy. They’re egotistical. And they’re selfish. But, no one really evil.

The show reminded me of Hanlon’s Razor: “Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.”

Matt Remick (Seth Rogen) has a compulsive need to be liked. He’s a cinephile to a fault, a trait that often interferes not just with his business but also with the actual filmmaking process for many directors. His posse is no less egotistical. No doubt, their cunning and cutthroat business gimmicks have brought them to the top, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t without their share of goofiness. Sal Saperstein (Ike Barinholtz) comes off as a constant punching bag. Quinn Hackett (Chase Sui Wonders) is the inexperienced executive who’s trying hard all the time. Hell, we even get Bryan Cranston as Griffin Mill, the cinematically-apathetic CEO of Continental Studios.

But the jokes aren’t just for our cast. Even top names in cinema, from Martin Scorsese to Aaron Sorkin, play themselves in goofy roles that are the brunt of cruel jokes and scathing commentary. No one is malicious. Everyone is just trying to do their jobs. And in the process, there’s often a miscommunication or a clash of goals, which results in hilarious antics.

The Studio Season 1 Episodes Ranked

Of course, this ranking is purely based on my personal preferences. Let me know your rankings in the comments!

1. Episode 1: The Promotion: The series premiere was undoubtedly one of the most charged-up hours of TV that I have watched this year. From the high-energy, fast-paced plot progression to the absurdly high stakes to the best celebrity cameos (Martin Scorsese & Steve Buscemi), this episode had it all. My favourite moment from this entire season still has to be the end of this episode, “Marty? Are you crying?”
2. Episode 2: The Oner: While the rest of the episodes have one-take treatments across multiple scenes, this episode is an actual oner. Having shot oners myself, I could totally relate to the chaos and tension behind-the-scenes. To present these emotions with a oner itself was just poetic.
3. Episode 10: The Presentation: The season finale was by far one of the best half-hour of comedy I’ve seen this year. The tension, the relentless push, the creative scrambling and keeping the show going… The Studio has bookended its maiden season with two very powerful, technically brilliant episodes where the character performances are at their best.
4. Episode 9: CinemaCon: The penultimate episode of the season was on equal footing with the finale, in my opinion. It included the best of everything that made this an awesome show. A high-stakes conflict, the gang working together to solve their issues, and their narcissism and incompetence getting in the way. These two episodes would have been on top if they were a double feature instead of split into two parts.
5. Episode 8: The Golden Globes: Thank you, Sal Saperstein! I’m just going to leave it at that. Absolutely loved this episode.
6. Episode 3: The Note: Another great cameo (Ron Howard), another absurdly beautiful premise that kept the stakes raised throughout. While this episode didn’t have the charm and charge of the first two, it still kept the flames burning brightly for me to keep watching the show.
7. Episode 5: The War: This was the only episode that wasn’t focused on Matt. It still had the charged-up energy and cruel humour that kept me on the edge of my seat throughout. Plus, seeing things from a different POV this time around was quite refreshing.
8. Episode 6: The Pediatric Oncologist: The episode was an absolute blast from start to end. Especially in highlighting Matt’s pathological need to be liked. However, something about dunking on doctors didn’t feel right. Some of the humour made me cringe, and overall, in a season full of gold, this was a tad silverish.
9. Episode 7: Casting: The primary conflict in this episode just felt too forced. The jokes were hilarious, the performances and technical aspects sound as expected. Still, the overall premise didn’t work as well as it should have. I admit, though, the ending with the crowd calling out Continental Studios for using AI wrapped up the episode beautifully.
10. Episode 4: The Missing Reel: While the overall plot and conflict were great, the noir treatment just didn’t work for me. Noir films are special and need immense work to get right. In that regard, I feel the episode failed. The jokes were funny, and even at its worst, The Studio is still leagues better than most comedies out there. Still, a season of great episodes is bound to have at least one miss.

The Studio Worth Watching?

Hell yeah! As a filmmaker and a cinephile, this was an absolute delight to watch. If you love Hollywood, or just films in general, you’ll find a tonne of gold in this absurdly funny show.

Will there be a Studio Season 2?

Of course. Whether Matt’s presentation in the end was a success or not remains to be seen. Of course, they managed to please the crowd and get them all charged up with the “Movies! Movies!” chant. But, did it translate to Amazon no longer buying Continental Studios? Remains to be seen…

In Conclusion:

The Studio is one of the best things to have come out this year. I can’t wait for season 2, so I can get more antics from Matt Remick, Sal Saperstein and the gang.

Also check out:

• Adults (2025) | Season 1 Review
• You Are The Detective: The Creeping Hand Murder by Maureen Johnson & Jay Cooper
• Predator: Killer of Killers (2025) | Film Review
• Stolen (2023) | Film Review
• Conclave (2024) | Film Review
• Island of the Dying Goddess

What did you think of The Studio? Any other show/movie/book you would like me to review? Let me know in the comments below!

Until next time.