Apple TV+ "The Studio" Satirical Decline of Modern Hollywood

The premise of this brand new Apple TV series sees Matt Remick who is newly appointed the head of Continental Studios. This series is a tongue in cheek take on modern Hollywood, the inner workings of studios and the greedy chase for financial success and low creative value. The Studio (2025) is a show I never thought i’d see, a raw commentary on Hollywood and the downfall of cinema.

Matt (Seth Rogen) is desperate for celebrity approval, he and his executive team at the movie studio must juggle corporate demands with creative ambitions as they try to keep movies alive and relevant.

This hilarious Hollywood satire is created by the comedy dream team of Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg. Making fun of the very industry they live in but in the best, most self aware way possible. 

Episode One - “The Promotion”

The Kool-Aid man. The focus of this episode is comedically poetic, as Matt fights to make something artsy and fore filling he is forced to give his attention to a Kool-Aid movie. The studio wants to rinse the success of Greta Gerwig’s Barbie (2024) and the commentary on reality is hilariously on the nose. 

Aside from the premise being deeply sad, the concept that Hollywood is declining and the respect for creativity is ignored more than ever. The Studio (2025) is a beautiful reminder that cinema is creative, cinema should not be financially charged but instead focused on making meaningful art. 

The Studio (2025) scratches an itch in my brain, it gave me something really fun about an industry I adore. It commented on all the issues I have with the industry and its current state in the best way possible. Seth Rogen knows how to deliver satire and he truly exceeded with this series. This series is for film lovers, this series is for those of us who watch the industry changing but still dream of being part of it. 

The ending of this episode is Mark and his friend watching Goodfellas after breaking Martin Scorsese’s heart. Sitting back, eating popcorn and watching one of the greatest scenes ever made - this scene embodied the whole series for me and its message. We love cinema, we appreciate cinema, its impact and its reach and yet, the industry which gave us gems like Goodfellas is trying so hard to ruin the integrity of the industry. 

Probe Points

★★★★☆

Episode Two - “The Oner”

Let’s start by saying the song choices on this series are also perfection, its sets the tone in this golden age of movies, along with the font style and creative decisions. 

This episode centres around the pre-production and early development of Mark’s feature. Mark cannot help but interject himself into the production, giving notes and wanting to be involved but nobody on set wants him there. This show represents the disconnect with studio heads and the crew, everything is fuelled by money. 

Seth Rogen’s Mark is a bumbling fool, unable to relax on set and causing chaos in every moment. The episode showcases the repetitive nature of filmmaking and the relationships between everyone on set, the using, the manipulation, the madness and the utter selfishness. 

This was an entertaining episode from beginning to end and lent into the chaos of film sets, the episode appeared to be shot in one continuous shot which also kept the viewer in the action and the awkwardness. 

Probe Points

★★★★☆

You can watch ‘The Studio’ on Apple TV+, the first two episodes are out now and the rest follow once a week. Episode 03 coming April 2nd.