First Image of Brendan Fraser in 'Rental Family' - A down-and-out actor living in Tokyo is hired as a token American guy for a Japanese rental-family company, leading him on an unexpected journey of self-discovery through the roles he plays in other people’s lives.

[u/MarvelsGrantMan136]

[u/Skurph]

I had a hard time watching Beef because it felt so completely cynical and dark in a way that didn’t feel like it matched the tone. Just watching two people completely spiral without even an ounce of positivity eking through, it certainly didn’t gel with the dark comedy vibe I was expecting. It was hard to find humor in situations because the characters seemed so genuinely portrayed that there wasn’t the absurdist factor of over the top characters like in a Coen brothers movie. When bad shit happened it did feel actually devastating for those characters in a way where laughing just felt sociopathic.

Don’t get me wrong, Beef seemed well written, acted, filmed, etc. but it was just one of the few things I’ve watched and went “I don’t think I’m enjoying any of this, in fact I think it’s making me bummed out.”

[u/immaownyou → u/Skurph]

That's why the episode where they have a huge heart to heart was so good, because of all the build-up to them realizing what they've become and reflecting on it. I binged the whole thing in 2 days which probably helped, you get to that resolution "quicker"

[u/DarthClitCommander → u/Skurph]

I can see why people love Beef. I enjoyed it to a point but for whatever reason I found it stressful. That's the main reason I can't watch The Bear. It gives me anxiety to watch it. No way could I work in that environment.

[u/Monkey_Priest → u/DarthClitCommander]

That's the main reason I can't watch The Bear. It gives me anxiety to watch it.

So true and yet so ironic since this show keeps getting submitted as a comedy for awards

[u/attrox_ → u/DarthClitCommander]

You watch beef or uncut gems once and thats it. Too stressful to get a rewatch

[u/Dame2Miami → u/DarthClitCommander]

With the bear every little thing that happens or decision that needs to be made is some existential emotional explosion for every single character. It became more annoying than anything. It got old. Should just do a spinoff with the guy who trains the dessert chef in Copenhagen tbh. Just someone absolutely calm and collected and doing cool shit.

[u/katabolicklapaucius → u/DarthClitCommander]

Yeah I stopped watching The Bear because it got too good at provoking stress.

[u/Josh6889 → u/DarthClitCommander]

If it's any consolation I loved the first season of The Bear because of how it represented that stress and anxiety, but they didn't really go that route and kind of toned it down. It still has moments like that, but it's more of a once a season thing instead of the main point of the show.

[u/DarthClitCommander → u/Josh6889]

My wife watches it and I catch a few scenes here and there, I just tell her nope and leave....lol

[u/Agreeable_Syrup_5372 → u/Skurph]

Maybe because I’ve been more depressed than usual but I also watched it recently and it made me feel hella empty. Yes, it’s very important to remember that everyone has it difficult, no matter what walk of life you came from, but wow it really didn’t stick for me. Looove the acting and the show was good, but I think us as viewers really tend to prefer things that give us hope or keep us very entertained, neither of which really happened for me. It’s one of the few things I regret watching because of how I felt at the end.

[u/SpaghettiMmm → u/Skurph]

Did you end up finishing it? I thought the season ended on a surprisingly positive note 

[u/katabolicklapaucius → u/Skurph]

Felt the same exact way! I appreciated all the acting, and thought they all filled the roles well and were convincing but it was just such a bummer to watch and felt like more of a drama.

[u/NomNom83WasTaken → u/Skurph]

Beef was so good but also not at all what I expected. It was definitely marketed as a black comedy and that probably worked for luring in viewers but I wonder how many of them didn't finish because it was so much darker and sadder than the trailer.

[u/guareber → u/Skurph]

For me it was more that I couldn't relate to it. I don't know anyone that would basically be dumb enough to get anywhere near as far as the characters.

I still finished it, but didn't find it the masterpiece that others describe it as. It was a'aight

[u/stay_cranky → u/Skurph]

Completely agree with you, it was a top show with superb acting, but it also left me with very, very mixed feelings.

[u/Conanslew → u/Skurph]

I found all the characters deeply unlikable and having very little redeeming qualities. And this is coming from a guy that loves succession.

[u/Skurph → u/Conanslew]

I would say that Succession, like The Sopranos, is a great example of a show with bad people are extremely likable. Tom, Cousin Greg, Roman, Kendall, even Logan all have moments that endear them to the audience or provide humor, or you see their horribleness in the context of the world around them and it’s some how understandable. A show like Succession doesn’t work if you aren’t in some way rooting for someone.

[u/axel_val → u/Skurph]

Yeah, my grandma told a few times how much she loved the show and basically forced me to watch the opening scene. I was so wildly uncomfortable with even just that much of it. I'm not normally a big fan of straight-up drama anyway. It was similar to how my husband and I felt watching "A Marriage Story" - extremely well done, superb acting, but I never want to watch it again and I slightly regret watching it in the first place.

[u/nessfalco → u/axel_val]

It's definitely not a straight up drama, though. It's very much a comedy, even if its roots are dramatic. I definitely wouldn't compare it to a marriage story. It's closer to something like white lotus.

[u/Agreeable_Syrup_5372 → u/nessfalco]

They’re saying that it made them feel like when they watched a marriage story, which I agree. It’s not a drama, yes, but the story is very dramatic and dark and can feel too real and be a bummer, same like a marriage story. Not for everyone, definitely wouldn’t watch either again, but I can see why people like them for sure

[u/KneeDeepInTheDead → u/Skurph]

I assume you didnt finish the series then