The Studio Review | An Absolute Riotous Phenomenon You Have Not Heard Of...Yet

The world is an utterly bleak place right now. So being able to laugh at a gloriously incompetent white man in charge of running a multi-million-dollar Hollywood studio is sometimes just the thing you need amidst all that desolation. Apple TV+’s The Studio (2025) is the funniest new series on streaming currently—Hacks (2021-ongoing) and co. have already cornered their audiences, and The Studio is right up there. It is an absolute riot and an oddly wholesome one at that.

The Studio follows Matt Remick (Seth Rogen), a well-meaning bumbling buffoon of a studio executive who gets the coveted title of studio head in the very first episode. Armed with ambition and a questionable amount of optimism, he sets out to rescue a sinking ship, all while Hollywood itself is in the middle of an identity crisis, juggling social upheaval, economic chaos, and the rise of TikTok stars with Oscar dreams.

Rogen’s Remick is every bit the egotistical blowhard, clinging to a genuine but shallow cinephilia he can never fully honor. The capitalist (and vintage car lover) inside him—along with the ever-looming pressures from above—inevitably wins out. This is a man who appreciates a “oner”—a single-take scene sans any cuts—and dreams of being the guy who resurrects the studio system by championing “serious” cinema that still succeeds at the box office. Instead, he cashes his checks churning out loud, derivative franchise films stuffed with action and devoid of soul.

The Studio is not just funny on meta levels, it is educational too, especially if you love all things cinema—including the nitty gritties of the actual filmmaking process. From getting the right directors on board to the dirty business of marketing, from learning lingo like “put pictures” (describing a film that a studio is contractually required to release) to devouring the clever nuances of studio politics, The Studio pulls back the curtain on the chaos and compromise behind Hollywood’s glossy facade.

The second episode, “The Oner”, starring the amazing Greta Lee as herself, casually roasting A24’s champagne-taste-on-a-beer-budget ways, actually has four shots cleverly stitched together making it seem like a true oner. It also has brilliant bookends for the observant (where one of Matt’s many vintage cars ultimately upends the oner in the episode) to enjoy and giggle at.

The long shots in every episode ensure the show becomes an immersive enough experience that you stop caring about second screens. The Studio demands and rewards your full attention. This is the kind of art studio execs like Matt will never be able to greenlight in fear of it failing spectacularly in gaining enough eyeballs or generating dizzying amounts of profits.

Created by Rogen, Evan Goldberg, Peter Huyck, Alex Gregory, and Frida Perez, the cast of The Studio is a cinephile, comedy lover’s dream and an absolute coup for Apple TV+. Rogen leads the charge flanked by the inimitable Catherine O’Hara, Kathryn Hahn, Ike Barinholtz, and Chase Sui Wonders. And just when you think the core cast couldn’t get any better, The Studio pulls in a revolving door of A-list guest stars. Martin Scorsese drops by only to be driven to tears by Matt’s moronic folly. Ron Howard sheds his nice-guy image to revel in being just another Hollywood menace.

That’s not all. The cast lineup blends comedic royalty with fresh energy, delivering performances that are as sharp as they are absurd. It's a rare treat to see such a stacked ensemble flex their funny bones in a comical send-up of Hollywood.

Toss in Steve Buscemi, Charlize Theron, Anthony Mackie, Olivia Wilde, Zac Efron, and Greta Lee, and you've got a who's-who of Hollywood turning up for a hilariously unfiltered peek behind the curtain. This is satire with celebrity sparkle with just enough self-referential commentary that will make you cringe and guffaw all at the same time. The cherry on top is a hilariously uninhibited Rogen who is not afraid to make a total fool of himself in every episode.

To top it off, The Studio is already a pop culture phenomenon that you might not have heard of yet. The news that HBO is developing a Jonestown series with Bill Hader — set to co-write and potentially star in, himself—had Variety’s comment section lighting up with jokes about Scorsese’s doomed “Kool-Aid movie” from The Studio.

The Studio gives an insider glimpse into the craziness of showbiz and lampoons its absurdity while at it. It is equal parts insider roast and laugh-out-loud chaos. All while with a reminder that behind the glitz, everyone’s just trying to avoid being the next casualty of the industry’s relentless churn. There’s no business like show business and The Studio really runs with that even. In the sixth episode, “The Pediatric Oncologist”, it takes aim at the privileged hypocrisy of medical professionals with dismissive attitudes toward cinema. Matt’s trademark refusal to let go of an argument kicks things into high gear, turning a minor disagreement into a full-blown spiral. The show sprucely critiques the clash between art and profit-driven medicine, all while satirising the self-importance of both worlds.

For film journalists, critics, and anyone else who lives and breathes the circus of showbiz, there’s nothing sweeter than watching a show that knows just how ridiculous the industry can be. With three episodes left this season, The Studio shows no signs of slowing down and I recommend you tune in to make sure a second season gets to see the light of the day next year. Because for the love of all things zany, we really deserve it.

Debiparna Chakraborty is a film, TV, and culture critic dissecting media at the intersection of gender, politics, and power