admin There’s always been something a little uncanny about those house flipping couples on television, and the wildly popular format is particularly ripe for parody. Enter Emma Stone, Nathan Fielder, and Benny Safdie, as well as the shared muscle of A24 and Showtime, who are teaming up for The Curse, a new series beginning November 12 that promises to bring Fielder’s dry sensibility and Stone’s phenomenal comedic timing to the world of open-concept kitchens and accent walls.
Stone and Fielder play a couple living in Española, New Mexico attempting to balance filming a new TV show, and conceiving a child, all while contending with, you guessed it, a curse that threatens to derail their American dream. The show also features Safdie as the couple’s producer, and an impressive supporting cast including Barkhad Abdi and Corbin Bernsen. Early still images are extremely promising, with Safdie looking like a brunette Dog the Bounty Hunter, and Stone and Fielder in full demolition gear.
The first teaser trailer sets the tone with creepy, unsettling music and an off-kilter, performative vibe from Stone and Fielder as they film a clip introducing their next client, the Española Fire Department. Though everyone is smiling and cheerful, something simply seems off as Stone reads lines and the couple attempt stilted banter with a forced enthusiasm. The protracted zoom out effect further emphasizes the unease of the scene—it feels like a sinister twist on the artificial scenario humor Fielder is known for.
