Christopher Nolan is still one of the most well-respected filmmakers in the industry, working today. His Oscar win as Best Director for Oppenheimer has only further cemented his legacy, but it’s fair to say that audiences often took notice of his recommendations. Indeed, Nolan has always had quite an interesting eye for comedy, action and drama. He has often mused on his love for the Fast and the Furious franchise, suggesting he has no guilt for his enjoyment of those movies.
Clearly, Nolan has an eclectic taste, but has always understood how a film may deliver on its promise to entertain. His own films are spectacles, and while sometimes complex, have always respected the cinematic art form in its totality, much like those projects that he seems to be keen to represent in some fashion. Nolan also has a firm grasp of how television should be structured, and while he has strong ties to the industry thanks to his brother and sister-in-law’s efforts on series like Westworld, he, strangely, has never had a hand in producing TV. Nonetheless, he has a strong eye for the medium, and his recommendation of The Curse should come with a great deal of interest. Because if Nolan says something is worth watching, people tend to listen.
Christopher Nolan Recommended The Curse
The Show Launched In 2023
Back when Christopher Nolan was still working on the promotional tour for Oppenheimer, he came out with a lot of statements that made headline news. While there were debates about whether actors should be allowed to sit down on set, and in-depth talk about the quality of IMAX cameras versus standard equipment, one particular news story may have passed many by. Because, as is often the case with these press junkets, a few journalists started to quiz Nolan on his big and small screen tastes. This is where that Fast and the Furious reveal came from, but there was another, surprising addition to that recommendation list.
Because, when talking about what he loves to watch, Nolan made mention of The Curse. He, perhaps now famously, said that The Curse was unlike anything he had seen on television before. In a well-documented Q&A, Nolan went on to say, «There are so few shows that come along that genuinely have no precedents. I mean, you’re going back to things like Twin Peaks or The Prisoner or Dennis Potter’s Singing Detective — things like that. So you’re in an amazing space, and I can’t wait for audiences to catch up with the climax.» To make those comparisons is certainly to speak highly of this underrated series, but despite the praise, many modern audiences have still never even heard of the hit.
The Curse was originally commissioned back in February of 2020 and should not be confused with the brilliant British comedy series of the same name, starring the likes of Wonka’s Tom Davis. Created by Fruit Tree, Blow Out Productions, Elara Pictures, and the immeasurably influential A24, the show hit the zeitgeist at just the right time, especially as the latter studio began to make its mark. It was picked up by Showtime, a network known for putting resources into shows of genuine quality and value. The premise was initially conceived by Nathan Fielder and Benny Safdie, although there will be more on them later. With a green light for a 10-episode, 1-season run, The Curse debuted back in 2023 and is now available to stream on Paramount+.
Unfortunately for The Curse, the immediate ratings were not what executives might have hoped for, and the initial impact wasn’t enough to fill the network with confidence. Despite audiences never showing up for The Curse, that doesn’t mean that critics were ready for the show to be forgotten about. In fact, the response was astronomical, with high praise coming from all sides of the industry. The first season scored an impressive 93% on Rotten Tomatoes from the critics, but that audience response is reflected in a 44% Audience Score.
The Curse Explores a Semi-True Story
The Curse Focuses on a Couple In Crisis
The premise was strangely inspired by a semi-true story, with Fielder informing Safdie of a strange event that happened to him. Supposedly, when Fielder moved from Canada to Los Angeles back in 2009, he refused to give money to a woman asking for a handout. She replied with a curse, placed directly on Fielder’s shoulders, leaving him quite haunted by the interaction. While he may not be a superstitious type of guy, it’s still unnerving for anyone to have a curse placed upon them with such malice. And so, Fielder returned with some cash, and the curse was lifted from him, ensuring that he could go on to live his life without the fear of the consequences of his so-called cruelty.
And that conversation is where The Curse sprang from, as Fielder’s character is cursed, much in the same way. But, the so-called curse supposedly isn’t lifted, leading to a new run of unintended consequences and shocking ending. The couple, consisting of Whitney and Asher, are trying to have a baby, while the newly-wedded pair also attempt to get their TV show, ‘Fliplanthropy’, off the ground. This is a period of high stress, where everything that could go wrong does go wrong, raising questions as to whether the curse itself is a little realer than the pair initially let on up until the very end. It’s a fascinating premise and one that audiences can immediately relate to on some level.
It’s perhaps no surprise that the iconic Christopher Nolan is so drawn to a show that plays with expectations at all times, and takes a fantastical yet grounded idea, and sees how it may play out in a very real scenario. So many of his movies boast these same high concepts, but it’s in the execution that those concepts really shine through. In this particular instance, The Curse tries to draw as much tension and black comedy from the premise as possible, leaving viewers in shock as to what’s playing out. Indeed, even talking about The Curse can lead into high spoiler territory, considering each episode boasts such depth and character growth, and in many cases, cliffhangers aplenty.
But the series goes much further, exploring high-concept themes that many comedies, such as this, with fantastical yet grounded elements, might avoid entirely. Despite tackling such a big topic already, The Curse also explores white privilege and cultural appropriation, touches upon the challenges of marriage and parenthood, sits with the woes of capitalism, sustainability, and the justice system, and even dives into the ups and downs of reality television. There are so many meta moments to this series, considering it is partially a show dedicated to the very industry that it sits within. But make no mistake, audiences who tune in for the very first episode will not be able to predict how it ends, even slightly.
The Curse Boasts An Extraordinary Cast & Crew
The Talent Behind The Curse Speaks To Its Success
TV shows are often more beholden to their cast than movies are, because it takes a lot for a performer to hold the attention of an audience for an extended period of time, in an episodic format. These actors have to be compelling enough that viewers are going to want to tune in again, even after a potential break between episodes. Because it’s worth noting that The Curse was conceived as a binge-worthy series, but rather stuck to the traditional tropes of the medium. But luckily, the show’s creators, Safdie and Fielder, have a lot of experience within the field, and as A24 eyes its next big movie, it’s not a shock that the duo almost created its next big show!
Fielder has a relatively limited but respectable career on the big screen, having written short films like The Web and Buyer’s Market. But, while those might have helped him to hone his talent, it was The Rehearsal that really stood out from his career as a turning point. Meanwhile, Safdie has written and directed on the likes of Daddy Longlegs and Uncut Gems and is about to debut The Smashing Machine and is a well-respected name in the industry. On writing duties, they were joined by Carrie Kemper, who notably worked as a staff writer on The Office before joining Silicon Valley and The Rehearsal, where her partnership with Fielder really started to take shape.
While Fielder directed some episodes himself, alongside him, behind the camera, were Nathan and David Zellner. While the former is particularly well known for Kumiko, The Treasure Hunter, the latter has interacted with far more cult classics such as Slacker 2011, Goliath and Frontier. He most recently stepped up to direct Damsel, which is one of his largest projects to date. And if viewers are wondering why The Curse looks so gorgeous, then that’s largely down to the work of cinematographer Maceo Bishop. The filmmaker’s credits include The Watcher, Somewhere In Queens, and Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, having cut his teeth behind the scenes on pictures like The Wolf of Wall Street and Uncut Gems.
No production is complete without its cast, and there were some real heavy hitters featured here. While the phenomenal Emma Stone needs no introduction, she provided real heart, humor and soul to this production. Fielder and Safdie also stepped in front of the camera as Asher and Dougie, respectively. Meanwhile, guest stars like The Rehearsal’s Dean Cain and Orange Is The New Black’s Constance Shulman helped to round out an incredible ensemble. Other noteworthy names include Corbin Bernsen from The Hating Game and The Punisher, and Captain Phillips’ Barkhad Abdi.
The Curse's Future Is Uncertain
Nolan Fans May Get Another Dose
With such an incredible team and praise from the likes of Christopher Nolan, it would seem as if the future of The Curse is guaranteed. For those who have watched the show, there is an argument to be made that it ends in the perfect place, and was always imagined as a single-season show. There is a sense of closure in many ways, and yet, there is so much more room for narrative development moving forward. Because there are also threads left hanging, and the arrival of a new character could cause far more conflict, as the leads’ lives are changed all over again. Indeed, fans are likely locked in a debate as to whether the show needs to return or not.
But there are also the ratings to consider and the needs of executives. The truth is, the show is likely too expensive to shoot, especially considering the size of the audience that The Curse eventually received. Not only has everyone’s stock risen since that initial showing, with Emma Stone reaching new heights, but the latter’s filming schedule is also jam-packed. It may well be that it is impossible to bring the cast back together to shoot anymore, especially with Safdie on the press trail again for The Smashing Machine. It seems, for the very people working on the show, there are new projects to move on to.
Interestingly, Showtime has never officially canceled the show, though, nor has it released any news about a potential follow-up. Speaking with Variety, creator Safdie said, «There’s a lot more fun to be had in this world. It’s not off the table. There are ideas, but it’s definitely too premature to put them out into the world.» That certainly gives fans of the show some hope, and with Nolan backing the show, it’s plausible that there could be a rise in viewership again, as new viewers discover the Showtime and A24 hit on Paramount+.
So, fans of Christopher Nolan should check out The Curse straight away, and keep an eye out for any potential announcements as it concerns future seasons. Meanwhile, there are many more recommended pieces from Nolan’s filmography that are worth exploring, and as The Odyssey heads towards its own press tour, expect more of these sorts of shout-outs to hit news headlines soon. The Curse is a special kind of show that never utilizes tropes or heads in well-travelled directions. It is singular in its appeal, and that makes it one of the most thematically interesting shows to come from Showtime in quite some time.
