The Studio Reminds Us Why We Love Movies

The Studio (2025) is every film lover's dream. By exploring the complex inner workings of Hollywood, the series offers both a sharp satire and a celebration of filmmaking, earning critical acclaim and 13 Emmy Awards in the process. The Studio is a poignant dive into film, combining a talented ensemble with inventively episodic storytelling. However, its over-the-top antics sometimes take away from the show’s meaning.

The show begins with Matt Remick (Seth Rogen) stepping in as the head of Continental Studios after former leader Patty Leigh (Catherine O’Hara) is fired by CEO Griffin Mills (Bryan Cranston). Matt wants to revive the studio and, by extension, the film industry, but he must balance his creative ambitions with Griffin’s profit-driven priorities. Throughout the series, he explores several Hollywood tropes, from the now iconic “oner,” or one-shot take, to the anxiety of not receiving credit as a studio head. These tensions come to a head in the final two episodes, which revolve around a CinemaCon presentation that will determine both the studio’s and Matt’s fate. 

One of The Studio’s greatest strengths is its robust and versatile cast, including both main and guest stars. The recurring cast has strong on-screen chemistry; particularly, Matt and Sal Saperstein (Ike Barinholtz), whose wacky misadventures spark consistently hilarious back-and-forth dialogue. Other people at Continental, like Quinn Hackett (Chase Sui Wonders) and Maya Mason (Kathryn Hahn), bring the studio to life, captivating the viewer’s interest during everything from shooting to marketing. 

A unique aspect of The Studio’s cast was the implementation of several famous directors and actors who appear as themselves in the show. A memorable example appears in the first episode, which features legendary director Martin Scorsese in a cameo that earned him his first Emmy nomination. Scorsese embodies the creative vision that resists purely profit-driven filmmaking, delivering a sharp and memorable performance. Many other guest performances, including actors Ron Howard and Zoë Kravitz, were sprinkled throughout The Studio, bringing life to every episode. 

The Studio’s episodic structure allows for unique, anthological stories that each place a spotlight on a different part of Hollywood, from shooting high-intensity sequences to fixing issues on set. This format works especially well in the early and final episodes. A standout is the second episode, when Matt’s urge to be more creatively involved pushes him to visit a movie set during an intense filming sequence. The “oner” is a filming technique that uses long takes to make scenes feel more lifelike and visceral. Prominently used in some famous works such as Daredevil (2015-2018), Goodfellas (1990), and Oldboy (2003), the technique is extremely popular and difficult, as noted by Matt himself. Due to the degree of difficulty, Matt’s presence and controlling tendencies derail the sequence, sparking a hilarious chain of mishaps where everything goes wrong. The show ends in a two-part finale that features Matt and the rest of his crew trying to deliver Continental Studios’s presentation. Unlike most of the show’s episodes, these two build on one another to create a cohesive conclusion. They’re exhilarating, hilarious at times, and most importantly, make the audience remember why they love movies. 

Though The Studio’s satirical messaging about Hollywood is extremely poignant at times, it occasionally weakens its messaging through hyperbolic sequences that feel too ridiculous to be enjoyable. The season’s weakest episode, “The War,” showcases this issue at its worst; Quinn and Sal’s dispute over how a movie should be made spirals into a series of comical pranks and cringeworthy workplace battles. By reducing a creative disagreement to childish pranks, the episode undermines the show’s satirical edge and turns what could have been sharp commentary into shallow farce. Although most of the season is superb, Episodes Five and Six take things way too far into comedy and lose the show’s meaning in the chaos. 

The Studio is, first and foremost, a love letter to Hollywood. The characters and storylines are interesting and well-developed. Despite its occasional stumbles, especially in the middle, the show is a delightful satire that explores the challenges and nuances of Hollywood through an interesting lens. While it isn’t perfect, The Studio reminds the viewer of what Hollywood could—and should—be in an age where film creativity is quickly disappearing.