Rose Byrne and Seth Rogen in ‘Platonic’ | Photo Credit: Apple TV+
Apple’s new comedy platonic‘s solely misstep might be in its title; The present is so far-off from traversing the anticipated could-best-friends-turn-lovers query that you simply surprise why the creators, husband-wife duo Nicholas Stoller and Francesca Delbanco, named it so.
But what the terrific 10 episodes do chart is a gloriously self-aware, usually hilarious, and but nuanced coming-of-age journey of two very totally different individuals going by way of their very own midlife crises; It can be a fantastic exploration of late millennial angst, in addition to the highs and lows of modern-day relationships.
Similar to how different reveals akin to Fleishman Is In Trouble (Jesse Eisenberg, Claire Danes, Lizzy Caplan), Mark Duplass’ Togetherness or Judd Apatow’s criminally-underrated love regarded on the altering nature of friendships (and marriages) as we grow old, platonic posits a number of gnawing inquiries to 40-somethings struggling to let go of who they have been in their 20s, however deceptively so.
College mates—with out advantages—Sylvia (Rose Byrne) and Will (Seth Rogen) have fallen out badly a few years in the past; she did not need him to marry his fiancé, however he ended up doing so anyway… and is now divorced.
Sylvia is a stay-at-home mother for her three children and profitable lawyer husband Charlie, however misses her legislation profession and usually wonders what might have been. Meanwhile, Will is the brewmaster at a cool native beer bar that he runs together with his mates, attire like a hippie, and is contemplating getting again into the relationship recreation.
They reunite, and it’s immediate sparks—not of the romantic sort, however even higher—sparks that remind them of who they have been in school, when their selections had little penalties, and that life might be unhinged enjoyable. Sylvia can not help herself regardless of being a accountable grown-up versus Will’s juvenile self; every time the duo hangs out, they each lapse into the individuals they have been once they first met. Best mates are likely to have that impact on you.
platonic
Creators: Francesca Delbanco and Nicholas Stoller
Cast: Rose Byrne, Seth Rogen, Luke Macfarlane, Carla Gallo, Tre Hale, Vinny Thomas
No. of episodes: 10
Storyline: Two finest mates reconnect after a lengthy rift and assist one another by way of their respective mid-life crises, whereas studying extra about themselves alongside the best way.
But it is not all simply chaos; regardless of all of the insanity Sylvia and Will rise up to—from consuming themselves foolish and getting excessive to snorting ketamine, stealing lizards and bleaching their hair— platonic additionally affords us exceptional perception into this profound connection between the 2, that’s immediately acquainted to anybody who misses their buddy. Navigating their respective private and skilled challenges, the 2 assist one another out with various levels of success (and disarray), however fortunately, by no means make the error of attempting to show this deep bond they’ve into one thing that it is not.
As Charlie as soon as says, in what might be the road of the present, “I do know Will and Sylvia aren’t fucking. But it nearly feels as if they’re getting off on the truth that they may very well be fucking.”
And this is where the genius of Rose Byrne and Seth Rogen comes into play; It’s an absolute delight to watch these gifted actors hit their comedic peaks in scene after scene, and exchange interplays of such unrivaled rapport that it should be disallowed. While Seth plays a character who might possibly resonate in some ways with his real-life persona (making his performance all the more so relatable), Rose is equally kick-ass as someone trying to deal with her insecurities of being a homemaker, but cutting loose when she meets her friend who is more messed up than she is.
Having starred as husband and wife in the hit Neighbors films (and their off-screen camaraderie shows) their chemistry is even better here as platonic buds, sharing meaningful heart-to-hearts and drunken revelry in equal measure, as they effortlessly riff off each other.
The superb supporting cast deserves mention too; Luke Macfarlane and Carla Gallo as Sylvia’s husband and friend are so enjoyable in their own right that you long to see more of them, whereas Tre Hale as Andy and Vinny Thomas as Omar provide some hilarious banter as Will’s work buddies.
But it is the writing — Stoller (Forgetting Sarah Marshall) and Delbanco (friends from college) — that brings it all together, in a delirious mix of dialogue-heavy repartee and physical comedy that gives equal importance to both its male and female leads. On that note, Will trashing every rental scooter he sees on the sidewalks of LA has to be the gag of the year; it had me in splits every time.
platonic should rightfully go down as one of the best buddy comedies of all time; at its best, it’s a celebration of rarely-seen sides to modern adult friendships (and love) that very few scripts engage with, aided by performers who hit it out of the park, and a technical crew that keeps the show’s backdrop and palette glistening with novelty.
Do you have a best friend? Miss them? Of course you do. Go find and hug them already.
Platonic is currently streaming on Apple TV+, with weekly episodes.