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Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'Overcompensating' review: Benito Skinner proves he's far more than just TikTok funny with delightful new show
Benito Skinner, also known as Benny Drama, rose to fame for his celebrity impressions on TikTok, but his comedy skills prove to be even more impressive with the release of the Prime Video show Overcompensating (releasing May 15). Starring Skinner himself, alongside Wally Baram, Mary Beth Barone, Adam DiMarco, Rish Shah and Holmes, Overcompensating is a semi-autobiographical story about Skinner's experience coming out in college. It's funny, it's raunchy and an absolutely hysterical ride throughout eight episodes. It's your next must-see comedy show. Overcompensating release date: May 15 on Prime VideoCast: Benito Skinner Wally Baram, Mary Beth Barone, Adam DiMarco, Rish Shah, Homles, Corteon Moore, Owen Thiele, Nell Verlaque, Lukas GageNumber of episodes: 8 The series begins as Benny (Skinner), a high school football star and high-achieving student, is getting dropped off for his first day at Yates University by his parents, played by Connie Britton and Kyle MacLachlan. Benny is gay, but no one knows, and he tries to present as a heterosexual, macho jock. Things get particularly complicated for Benny when he instantly gets a crush on his new classmate Miles (Shah). While college is certainly a time of change for many, Benny isn't ready to come out. But he ends up meeting Carmen (Baram), who's trying to find her place, and Yates, awkwardly attempting to make friends as her high school boyfriend is posting pictures of his new college life. Benny and Carmen try to hook up, and they're clearly not a match, but they develop a close friendship. Benny's older sister, Grace (Barone), also goes to Yates, and she's happily put her high school self aside for her new image, including dating Peter (DiMarco), part of the school's secret society who thinks he's the ultimate golden boy. The reality is that not everyone who finds success on TikTok that can translate to a different medium. But for Skinner, Overcompensating is proof of just how tight his comedy skills are. One of the great things about this show is that all its characters are flawed, making it feel real. Everyone has faults, everyone is messing up, both their own lives and the lives of others, and that makes every character feel complex. It's particularly refreshing to see in a story that could easily feature bland and superficial characters. Baram, who is also a producer on the series, really makes Carmen a big part of the heart of the show. While we certainly want the best for Benny as the lead, we quickly understand that Carmen is such an important person in Benny's life, and we also get great a sense of her own internal struggles. You'll likely assume that Barone and Skinner will be great together on-camera, hosting the podcast "Ride with Benito Skinner and Mary Beth Barone" together, but it's even better than you imagined. Grace is always ready to hurl an insult with a lot of attitude, and it's such an appealing brother-sister dynamic. While the core cast is incredibly strong, so many characters in Overcompensating get to thrive, particularly Holmes' Hailee. She's Carmen's outgoing and over-the-top roommate who's ready to be the most beloved girl at Yates. Hailee is definitely the source of the biggest laughs throughout the season. College humour shows and movies are plentiful, and Overcompensating isn't completely revamping what we've seen before. There are lots conversations about sex and some raunchy comedy, mixed with the coming-of-age struggles, but whatOvercompensating does is perfect the formula. It has that great balance of outrageous comedy and awkward moments, with heartfelt elements that speak to the importance of friendship and honesty. Even more impressive, with appearances from Charli XCX, Kaia Gerber, Bowen Yang, Matt Rogers, James Van Der Beek and Didi Conn (Frenchy in Grease), Overcompensating doesn't just rely on these plenty celebrity surprises to make the show interesting. They just add to an already strong story. Overcompensating is a show you'll be rewatching until we (hopefully) get a second season.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'Another Simple Favor': Blake Lively, Anna Kendrick sequel goes to odd and desperate places
Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick share the screen again for Another Simple Favor, (now on Prime Video), the sequel to Paul Feig's 2018 A Simple Favor, with a story that's even more mad than the first time around. While the original film had a joyously chaotic plot, the new film may have taken the chaos too far. But to answer one core question, before pressing play on Another Simple Favor, go back and watch the first film. From Hope taking on the identity of Emily (Lively) and triplet with her late siblings Charity and Faith, and mommy influencer Stephanie's (Kendrick) history with Emily's husband Sean (Henry Golding), you'll want that background knowledge to get the most out of the sequel. Another Simple Favor release date: May 1Where to watch Another Simple Favor: Prime VideoCast: Blake Lively, Anna Kendrick, Andrew Rannells, Alex Newell, Kelly McCormack, Michele Morrone, Allison Janney, Elizabeth PerkinsDirector: Paul FeigRuntime: 122 Stephanie has rebranded from mommy influencer to true crime vlogger and has published a book, The Faceless Blonde, about everything we saw unfold in A Simple Favor with the now incarcerated Emily. But with a dramatic entrance, Emily appears at her book event, inviting Stephanie to Capri, Italy to be her maid of honour in her upcoming wedding to her rich, Italian Mafia fiancée, Dante, (Michele Morrone). Why does Stephanie agree? Emily threatens to sue her for writing a book about her life if she doesn't, while also saying the trip could be great for another book. As they arrive in Italy, Emily gets a surprise when Dante's mother Portia (Elena Sofia Ricci) invites Emily's estranged mother, Margaret (Elizabeth Perkins, replaced Jean Smart from the first film), and her aunt Linda (Allison Janney). But soon into the wedding events there's a dead body, which stars us off on the twisty mystery. What Another Simple Favor really leans into is that Lively is at her best playing an intimidating, almost terrifying, wealthy woman who always gets what she wants, while wearing an over-the-top outfit, usually involved a big hat. The actor's "don't f**K with me energy" from the first film is on overdrive in the second, which is part of the fun of these stories. Where Another Simple Favor may lose you is when, nearing the end of the film, the story goes from outrageous to too unhinged. And unhinged can be good, but the story is too messy for the film's twists and turns to feel satisfying. Instead it feels like we're grasping at straws to try to shock the audience, but many moments feel like a cheap attempt at excitement in the film, that really just feel too weird to wrap your head around. But you can't dispute the fun of watching Lively with Kendrick. Emily and Stephanie are such fun opposites to put together and it's really where the film shines. Kendrick's comedy is spot on, with impeccable timing, and a great pairing for Lively's more intense energy. Allison Janney and Elizabeth Perkins are, as you'll likely expect, a great duo, but a lot of characters in this story feel underserved for things to do, including Stephanie's book agent Vicky (Alex Newell), who tags along for the trip to Italy. The first film had a great dark tensions, but that's largely lost in Another Simple Favor, where things just feel too silly. But it's not a film that completely lacks fun, just be prepared to venture through some odd territory as the film leans into silliness.
