'The Curse': Twisted HGTV Send-Up Premieres, Draws Big Reactions After Paramount+ with Showtime Premiere

John Connor Coulston

11/11/2023 11:07 am EST

The Curse is the latest buzzy TV show to premiere, and it's drawing some big reactions from viewers. The dramedy premiered on Paramount+ with Showtime on Friday (with a Showtime cable premiere set for Sunday) and viewers are already hooked on the series. The Curse follows Emma Stone and Nathan Fielder as home renovators filming a TV pilot for HGTV. While they want the show to have a positive, eco-friendly message, they soon learn that the reality TV producer they're working with (Benny Safdie) isn't exactly ethical. (Click here for subscription info.)

Elsewhere, the couple is faced with scrutiny of their past, pressure from locals about gentrification and, most unnerving of all, a curse placed on Fielder's character by a child he wronged. It's strange, it's funny, it's stressful and everything you'd expect from Fielder in the wake of his shows Nathan for You and The Rehearsal. (Fielder and Safdie are also co-creators for the show, in addition to co-writing with Carrie Kemper. Fielder also directs Episode 1.)

Scroll on to see the first reactions of Paramount+ with Showtime's The Curse. (For subscription info for Paramount+ with Showtime, click here.)

Critics React

"THE CURSE has *everything*: gentrification discourse! jewish summer camp! architectural plagiarism! native land rights! emma stone!" Variety's Allison Herman wrote on X alongside her review. "also it's the single most uncomfortable piece of tv I've ever watched."

'The Curse' Episode 1 Is Incredibly Good

"Episode 1 of The Curse is a perfect hour of television," one viewer posted. A second X user wrote, "20 minutes into The Curse and I can already tell you I'm in love with this show."

An Unnerving Experience

"There was a knot in my stomach, and in my throat the whole time," writer Meecham Whitson Meriweather shared. "Emma Stone is such a great actress, Nathan Fielder is scarier than usual, The Rehearsal x10, it's very unnerving, and I can't wait for episode 2."

Praise for Nathan Fielder

"One of the brilliant aspects of fielders previous performances is the ambiguity of the awkward facade was covering up something malicious or innocent, so cool to see him hone in on being plain evil because simultaneously shocking and makes perfect sense," another person wrote.

Praise for Emma Stone

"the curse first episode is so creative, entertaining, hilarious,weird and deeply unsettling," another fan wrote. "the cinematography and direction are AMAZING, emma stone is sooo good and her and nathan fielder have better chemistry than i expected i'm excited to see where this leads."

Forever Changing Our Feelings About Cherry Tomatoes

Podcaster Ethan Simmie wrote, "The first episode of The Curse is really good. And even more awkward. From the classic Fielder cringe to the overwhelming charisma of Emma Stone to Benny Safdie's punk energy, this show is awesome. Big themes told in unnerving ways. I'll never look at a cherry tomato the same."

Watch the Trailer for 'The Curse'

Official Synopsis: "SHOWTIME Original series The Curse centers on Whitney and Asher Siegel, a newlywed couple struggling to bring their vision for eco-conscious housing to the small community of Española, New Mexico. But, their efforts are complicated when an eccentrically flawed reality TV producer, Dougie, sees opportunity in their story. As the series unfolds, the couple find themselves caught in a mysterious web of ethical and moral gray zones – all while trying to keep their relationship afloat. The Curse stars Oscar winner Emma Stone, Nathan Fielder and Benny Safdie. Premiering November 10 on SHOWTIME – streaming with the Paramount+ with Showtime plan."

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