Criticism Is Dead
What we’re watching and what it all means (if it means anything at all)
2 years ago

Conversations With Friends, The Staircase, and Netflix woes

Maybe the real treasure was the friends and family we made and lost along the way, plus streaming giant flop era

We discuss Conversations With Friends and The Staircase, two adaptations about secrets and pretense.

01:35 Hulu’s Conversations With Friends initially suffers from the difficult task of adapting its source material, but ultimately reaches satisfying heights.

20:34 The Staircase, streaming on HBO Max, builds upon a true crime and its accompanying documentary with the addition of one more layer of meta-narrative.

40:06 Plus, breaking down the Netflix crisis.

...

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. For extended show notes — including links that we reference, plus more — subscribe to our Substack. Inquiries, complaints, and recs for what to watch can go to [email protected].

Music: REEKAH

Artwork and design: Sara Macias and Andrew Liu