‘The Studio’ Review: Seth Rogen’s Apple TV+ Hollywood Comedy Series Is a Hilarious, Cringe-Inducing Masterpiece
Seth Rogen in "The Studio," premiering March 26, 2025 on Apple TV+.
The Studio is a brutally funny and anxiety-inducing deep dive into Hollywood’s chaotic underbelly. Seth Rogen firing on all CYLINDERs; With sharp writing, an incredible cast, and a relentless pace, it’s as stressful as it is hilarious.
Hollywood has always been a chaotic, anxiety-inducing mess, and The Studio captures that madness with relentless, almost masochistic accuracy. Apple TV+’s new comedy, co-created by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, isn’t just funny—it’s the kind of brutally sharp satire that makes you cringe while laughing so hard you almost feel guilty. Rogen, who stars as a studio executive in over his head, directs all ten episodes with a kinetic, immersive style that drops the audience straight into the whirlwind of studio politics, overinflated egos, and never-ending existential panic.
“This industry runs on a foundation of caffeine, bad decisions, and blind optimism,” Rogen’s character Matt Remick proclaims in the first episode, setting the tone for what follows. As the newly appointed head of Continental Studios, Matt should be on top of the world. Instead, he’s drowning in a sea of corporate chaos, clashing with narcissistic directors, micromanaging a blockbuster adaptation of The Kool-Aid Movie, and watching as his dreams of making meaningful films crumble under the weight of test screenings and studio mandates. For every impassioned speech about the magic of cinema, there’s an equally crushing moment of humiliation, be it a berating from a revered filmmaker or an ill-advised marketing stunt spiraling into disaster.
“The best thing about working in Hollywood is getting to work in Hollywood. The worst thing? Also working in Hollywood.” Rogen’s portrayal of Matt is the perfect blend of wide-eyed optimism and crushing disappointment, making him one of the most compelling comedic protagonists in years. The series leans heavily on its exceptional cast. Kathryn Hahn’s Maya, a studio marketing head perpetually teetering between brilliance and breakdown, delivers some of the show’s most withering one-liners. Ike Barinholtz’s Sal, a coke-fueled production VP who thrives in chaos, is a scene-stealer in every moment he appears. Chase Sui Wonders, playing the ambitious and exasperated Quinn, provides the perfect contrast to Matt’s naïve belief that movies still matter. Then there’s Catherine O’Hara, whose Patty—the ousted old-guard executive—delivers some of the show’s sharpest insights into Hollywood’s ever-widening gap between art and commerce.
Ike Barinholtz, Kathryn Hahn, Chase Sui Wonders and Seth Rogen in "The Studio," premiering March 26, 2025 on Apple TV+.
If the series succeeds at anything, it’s making the audience feel the same level of stress as its characters. The way Rogen and Goldberg shoot The Studio—with long, unbroken takes and frantic, overlapping dialogue—creates an intensity reminiscent of The Bear or Uncut Gems. You don’t just watch Matt stumble from one PR crisis to another; you experience every ounce of his desperation in real time. Even the most mundane office interactions become high-stakes negotiations, with careers hanging in the balance over whether a leading man should wear a certain shade of blue in a movie poster. The pacing is relentless, ensuring that even the quietest moments have an undercurrent of tension.
“It’s show business, not show friends.” The absurdity of Hollywood has been the subject of many comedies, but The Studio sets itself apart by never allowing its characters to get comfortable. Every minor victory is immediately followed by an even greater catastrophe. Whether it’s a disastrous pitch meeting that devolves into screaming or a glitzy awards show moment that turns humiliating, the stakes always feel impossibly high. Matt might be an overpaid executive with questionable decision-making skills, but he’s also a guy who loses sleep over whether an indie darling will still have final cut. There’s something endearing about watching him fight for the industry he worships, even as it chews him up and spits him out.
Cameos from A-list actors playing exaggerated versions of themselves add another layer of fun, with each episode featuring a new Hollywood heavyweight indulging in the chaos. Some take a more self-deprecating approach, while others gleefully embrace their worst industry stereotypes. The series never veers into Entourage-style celebrity worship—instead, it savagely exposes the transactional nature of every red carpet smile and back-slapping awards show speech. Watching industry giants parody their own egos only adds to the show’s unflinching authenticity.
Ike Barinholtz, Seth Rogen and Martin Scorsese in "The Studio," premiering March 26, 2025 on Apple TV+.
The Studio isn’t for the faint of heart. It’s not a breezy, lighthearted sitcom—it’s a full-blown immersion into the absurdity of modern Hollywood, where a single bad test screening can tank a director’s career and executives celebrate mediocrity as long as it turns a profit. It’s relentless, often uncomfortable, and absolutely hilarious. Rogen and Goldberg have crafted a love letter to cinema wrapped inside a takedown of everything wrong with the industry, and the result is one of the funniest, smartest comedies of the year.
It’s a bold, relentless ride through the inner workings of a system that values profits over passion, and The Studio captures it all with wicked precision. For anyone who has ever dreamed of making movies—or just enjoys watching the madness unfold from a safe distance—this is must-see TV. Hollywood may be an unforgiving beast, but thanks to The Studio, at least we get to laugh at it.
RATING: ★★★★★
The Studio premiered at the 2025 SXSW Film & TV Festival. The first two episodes debut on Apple TV+ on March 26, with new episodes then releasing every Wednesday!
Premiere Date: March 26, 2025
Created by Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, Peter Huyck, Alex Gregory, & Frida Perez.
Series directed by Seth Rogen & Evan Goldberg.
Executive Producers: Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, James Weaver, Frida Perez, Peter Huyck, Alex Gregory, Alex McAtee, & Josh Fagen.
Main Cast: Seth Rogen, Catherine O’Hara, Kathryn Hahn, Ike Barinholtz, Chase Sui Wonders, Bryan Cranston, Keyla Monterroso Mejia, Dewayne Perkins, & Rebecca Hall.
Cinematographer: Adam Newport-Berra.
Composer: Antonio Sanchez.
Production Companies: Perfectly Pleasant Productions, Point Grey Pictures, & Lionsgate Television.
Network: Apple TV+.
Episodes: 10 (Season One).
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