Home>Entertainment>TV Shows
An interesting premise, with an execution that's less than super.
ByBelen Edwards on
All products featured here are independently selected by our editors and writers. If you buy something through links on our site, Mashable may earn an affiliate commission.
Jessica Hynes, Daniel Brühl, Isaac Powell, Aya Cash, Himesh Patel, and Lolly Adefope in "The Franchise."Credit: Colin Hutton / HBO
"Have you ever thought, 'I'm killing cinema'?"
That's the question that third assistant director Dag (Lolly Adefope) asks first assistant director Daniel (Himesh Patel) while working on fictional superhero flick Tecto: Eye of the Storm.
SEE ALSO:
40 shows we can't wait to see this fallIt's a question that's been asked of a lot of comic book movies lately, especially with superhero fatigue setting in and filmmaking legends like Martin Scorsese questioning their merit. It's also the question at the heart of The Franchise, a new HBO comedy from Succession writer and Veep producer Jon Brown. Veep and The Thick of It creator Armando Iannucci and Skyfall and 1917 director Sam Mendes also serve as producers, with Mendes directing the first episode.
The Franchise answers the question of whether superhero films are killing cinema with a resounding yes right off the bat, sending up everything from convoluted cinematic universes to gratuitous cameos. But beyond simply pointing a finger and laughing at superhero films, The Franchise doesn't really have that much to say, and it falters as a result.
What's The Franchise about?
Richard E. Grant, Katherine Waterston, and Billy Magnussen in "The Franchise."Credit: Colin Hutton / HBO
The Franchise transports us to the chaotic set of Tecto, the latest project from not-so-subtle Marvel stand-in Maximum Studios. While production is already well underway, the shoot is anything but smooth. Director Eric (Daniel Brühl) is a pretentious auteur, lead actors Adam (Billy Magnussen) and Peter (Richard E. Grant) are at each other's throats, and producer Anita (Aya Cash) is ready to enact some harsh cost-cutting strategies. Plus, there's the worrying matter that overbearing higher-ups from Maxmium Studios, like exec Pat (Darren Goldstein) and Kevin Feige-esque overlord Shane, who only communicates via proxy Bryson (Isaac Powell), are losing faith in the project. It's up to Daniel and the newly arrived Dag to put out all these (sometimes literal) fires and keep Tecto afloat.
Mashable Top Stories
Stay connected with the hottest stories of the day and the latest entertainment news.
Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter
By signing up you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Thanks for signing up!
The promise of The Franchise is most evident in its ambitious opening, a long take that follows Daniel as he shows Dag around set on her first day. He juggles everything from actors worried about their heavy prosthetics to Peter's attempts at a problematic joke, cleverly preempting the latter six seconds ahead of time. It's the perfect portrait of controlled chaos, as well as a solid introduction to the world of blue screens and superhero spandex we'll be inhabiting for eight episodes. But from there, the laughs come in fits and starts. So does the satire, which you'd expect to excel given all the Veep connections behind the scenes.
SEE ALSO:
'Joker: Folie à Deux' review: A middle finger to fans of Lady Gaga, the DC movies, and musicalsThe Franchise's satire is lackluster.
Himesh Patel, Isaac Powell, Lolly Adefope, Jessica Hynes, Aya Cash, and Daniel Brühl in "The Franchise."Credit: Colin Hutton / HBO
The Veep comparison hangs heavy over The Franchise, which attempts some of the same tricks but with far less rewarding results. At first, Eric's dynamic with his too-eager right-hand woman Steph (Jessica Hynes) feels like an attempt at recreating the dynamic between Veep's Selina Meyer (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) and her bag man, Gary (Tony Hale). But there's no depth or background to their relationship, no layers to Steph's coddling of her charge. Elsewhere, a scene where Steph advises Eric to let out all his swearing before directing elicits memorable results in creative expletives like "cocktangle" and "fuckclump," but even these feel like reheated leftovers of Veep and The Thick of It's greatest hits.
In terms of actual satire, The Franchise is haunted by shades of other shows that have parodied the superhero filmmaking industrial complex better in the past. Barry's cameo from CODA writer/director Sian Heder as a new franchise director was a solid send up of award-winning filmmakers getting looped into comic book movies so the studio can accrue prestige points. The Boys' many references to comic book movies and shows — including A-Train's (Jessie T. Usher) extremely expensive TV shows reshoots — prove a consistently sharp spot in a show that's otherwise losing its edge. The Franchise is going to have to do better than a laundry list of superhero film-related buzzwords in order to keep up. Mentions of "phases" and exploited VFX workers can only do so much.
SEE ALSO:
'The Penguin' review: Colin Farrell and Cristin Milioti deliver the goods in Gotham crime dramaPart of what makes The Franchise's take on comic book movies so ineffective is its clear disdain for them. Many of its critiques — including Maximum's "woman problem" and its fans' treatment of women involved in the films — are valid, albeit fairly surface level. And yes, the comic book movie's grip on pop culture is ripe for parody and deserving of closer inspection. But the show is overall devoid of any understanding of why these kinds of franchises may have resonated in the first place, or why they're so much more disappointing now than they were five years ago, during the era of Avengers: Endgame. Since no character is coming at the project from a place of care — apart from Daniel, who we're told loved the original Tecto comics but whose love has been ground down by years of thankless work in service to show business — we're trapped in a mire of smug cynicism, that of someone who's always stood outside the world they're making fun of, without bothering to take a closer look.
Related Stories
- A guide to all the 'Deadpool and Wolverine' cameos, from Ladypool and beyond
- 'The Flash' review: It sucks
- Marvel's 'Agatha All Along' and SNL star Sasheer Zamata plays 'Slash or Pass: Witches Edition'
- All Marvel Cinematic Universe movies, ranked worst to best
The Franchise could have been so much more.
Himesh Patel in "The Franchise."Credit: Colin Hutton / HBO
Thankfully, The Franchise is not without its high points. Grant's performance as a trained theater actor who can't stop being problematic and who considers Tecto beneath him is uproarious. (Doubly so when you remember Grant guest-starred in Loki as Classic Loki.) Magnussen's Adam, whose brawn is matched only by his many insecurities, makes an excellent foil for Grant's archness. Brühl, himself a veteran of the MCU as Baron Zemo, is also having a blast; he's part jittery director plagued with imposter syndrome and part diva. It's a shame, then, that the rest of the more-than-capable ensemble, like Patel, Adefope, Cash, and Hynes, are stuck playing varying shades of stress and contempt.
Another highlight of The Franchise comes as the credits roll, when we catch glimpses of dramatized behind-the-scenes interviews with various cast and crew. Here, the actors like Peter and Adam try especially hard to keep up the facade that all is well, despite being mere inches from cracking. The comedic tension there is infinitely more rewarding than just being shoved into Tecto's chaos all the time, and you can't help but wonder whether The Franchise might have benefited from a larger behind-the-scenes documentary-style format. The show that we got, in the end, remains less than super.
The Franchise premieres Oct. 6 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on HBO and Max, with a new episode every Sunday.
TopicsHBOStreaming
Recommended For You
'The Life of Chuck' review: Mike Flanagan and Stephen King team up for career-best cinema
Tom Hiddleston, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Mark Hamill lead this must-see mystery.
By Kristy Puchko
'We Live in Time' review: Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield in the biggest cinema disappointment of the year
The horse meme outshines a lackluster romance.
By Kristy Puchko
Why 'Death Becomes Her' is "perfect cinema"
"I can quote ‘Death Becomes Her' more readily than I can, like, tell you what my left from my right."
By Mark Stetson and Kristy Puchko
'V/H/S/Beyond' review: Should you watch if you're new to the franchise?
A first-timer's perspective.
By Sam Haysom
'Dìdi' review: Don't miss the coming-of-age comedy that's among the year's very best movies
So good it may make you miss T9 texting.
By Kristy Puchko
More in Entertainment
Decorate for the holidays with a Lego flower centerpiece that's over 40% off
Plus, more Lego Botanical collection deals on sale.
By Bethany Allard
The Ninja Slushi is back in stock and $50 off
Take a little piece of summer with you into the fall.
By Dylan Haas
Prime Day is over, but Target Circle Week runs through Oct. 12
I guess holiday magic starts in October now.
By Dylan Haas and Samantha Mangino
Last chance for 15% off gift cards — this Target Circle Week deal ends at midnight
Gift card options include Fangango and IHOP.
By Tabitha Britt
These outdoor deals are still going strong post-Prime Day: Solo Stove, Coleman, Igloo, and more
Crisp fall nights around the campfire just got cheaper.
By Christina Buff and Lauren Allain
Trending on Mashable
NYT Connections today: Hints and answers for October 13
Everything you need to solve 'Connections' #490.
By Mashable Team
Wordle today: Answer, hints for October 13
Here are some tips and tricks to help you find the answer to "Wordle" #1212.
By Mashable Team
I asked a pro photographer for the best iPhone camera settings — my pics are now better than yours
My pictures have never looked so crisp.
By Kimberly Gedeon
Webb telescope finds first clear evidence of a 'steam world'
You'll never complain about humidity again.
By Elisha Sauers
SpaceX plans to launch this space station. It looks futuristic.
A new habitat in Earth's orbit.
By Mark Kaufman
The biggest stories of the day delivered to your inbox.
This newsletter may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. Subscribing to a newsletter indicates your consent to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe from the newsletters at any time.
Thanks for signing up. See you at your inbox!