Review: 'The Studio' delivers Hollywood chaos, A-list cameos, and Seth Rogen at his most frantic
Apple TV+’s sharp new comedy skewers the absurdity of modern moviemaking with a star-studded cast, high-stakes studio drama, and just the right amount of secondhand embarrassment.
It takes precisely 8 minutes and 35 seconds for Matt Remick to tell the lie that will define his entire career in “The Studio.”
In a desperate bid to land the top job at the fictional Continental Studios, Matt—played by Seth Rogen in peak frantic energy mode—assures CEO Griffin Mills (Bryan Cranston), “I am as bottom line-oriented as anyone in this town.”
Sure, buddy. Whatever you say.
Mills, a corporate overlord with the patience of a lit match, isn’t convinced. He’s worried Matt is too obsessed with, as he puts it, “artsy fartsy filmmaking bullshit” instead of what really matters: money. And while that’s an all-too-real concern for the IP-and-data-driven executives currently threatening to run Hollywood into the ground, "The Studio" takes that existential dread and spins it into a chaotic, self-aware satire—one that skewers the industry with ruthless precision while also being genuinely hilarious.
Over the course of Apple TV+’s star-studded, 10-episode comedy, we watch Matt struggle to keep that little white lie alive as he tries (and repeatedly fails) to balance commerce and creativity. He wants to make art, but he also wants to be a studio head.
Those two desires are like oil and water, or worse, like Scorsese and superhero movies. The result? A frantic scramble for power, prestige, and the approval of Hollywood’s biggest stars, all while convincing himself that greenlighting a Kool-Aid Man movie doesn’t mean his artistic soul is officially dead. (Spoiler: it is.)
But if Matt is slowly unraveling, the show itself is thriving. “The Studio” is biting, fast-paced, and packed with a cast so stacked, you half expect to see their names on an Oscars montage. Joining Rogen and a delightfully smug Cranston are Kathryn Hahn, Ike Barinholtz, Catherine O’Hara, and Chase Sui Wonders, all playing key members of Continental Studios. Hahn’s turn as an unhinged marketing exec is an instant highlight, while Wonders’ Gen-Z creative hotshot delivers some of the season’s sharpest takedowns. And when the entire team assembles in a high-stakes brainstorming session? That’s when the magic happens. Barinholtz’s bulldozer energy bouncing off Wonders’ razor-sharp cynicism? Chef’s kiss.
And that’s before we even talk about the cameos. Good luck going five minutes without recognizing someone. From Paul Dano to Charlize Theron, Zac Efron to Anthony Mackie, "The Studio" is a who’s who of Hollywood—and yes, even Martin Scorsese makes an appearance. (If he starts ranting about Marvel, I won’t be surprised.) Some guest stars get entire episodes, others just pop in for a quick, “Wait, was that—?” moment, but one thing’s for sure: if you’re a pop culture obsessive, this show is a goldmine. A Golden Globes-themed episode in particular is a perfect storm of A-lister chaos, making for one of the funniest installments of the season.
Speaking of chaos, let’s talk about the show’s actual vibe. If “The Bear” was an actual comedy, this would be it. The stress levels? Immaculate. The walk-and-talks? Sorkin-esque. Every episode is a controlled panic attack wrapped in a glossy Hollywood veneer. The second episode, “The Oner,” is a masterclass in tension and comedy, unfolding in one continuous take as a film production desperately tries (and repeatedly fails) to land a single perfect shot at golden hour. It’s a disaster. It’s perfection.
At its core, "The Studio" understands one simple truth: Hollywood is a ridiculous, deeply unserious place run by people who take themselves way too seriously. And with Rogen’s signature blend of manic energy and lovable failure at the helm, the series captures all of it—the glamour, the dysfunction, the bottom-line panic, and the moments of brilliance that somehow emerge from it all.
Welcome to "The Studio". Where dreams are made, sold, and occasionally greenlit into Kool-Aid Man movies. You’re gonna love it.
Star Rating: 4.5 out of 5
“The Studio” premieres globally on Apple TV+ on Wednesday, March 26 with the first two episodes, followed by one new episode every Wednesday through May 21.