Apple calls “Before,” starring Billy Crystal, “a 10-episode atmospheric, character-driven psychological thriller about Eli, a child psychiatrist who, after recently losing his wife, Lynn, encounters a troubled young boy who seems to have a haunting connection to Eli’s past.” The Hollywood Reporter calls it “an unconvincing supernatural dud.”

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	Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more THR: Apple TV+’s ‘Before,’ starring Billy Crystal is an unconvincing supernatural dud MacDailyNews Nov 12   READ IN APP   “Before,” the new psychological thriller starring and executive produced by Billy Crystal, will premiere globally on Apple TV+ on Friday, October 25, 2024. Apple calls “Before,” starring Billy Crystal, “a 10-episode atmospheric, character-driven psychological thriller about Eli, a child psychiatrist who, after recently losing his wife, Lynn, encounters a troubled young boy who seems to have a haunting connection to Eli’s past.” The Hollywood Reporter calls it “an unconvincing supernatural dud.” Daniel Fienberg: ‎ You could show me any glum, washed-out frame from Before and, even without knowing who was in it or what show it was from, I would be able to identify it as an Apple TV+ show, because there is a certain subset of Apple TV+ programming that relies on excessively dour, bottom-of-the-fish-tank aesthetics as an artificial proxy for earned sobriety. Very little is earned in Before, which is basically a flimsy direct-to-video movie from the late ’90s stretched to 10 stultifying half-hour episodes. Stripped completely of any of his familiar comic mannerisms, even when sharing scenes with a rambunctious pug who stands as the show’s most likable character, Crystal is fully convincing as a man who needs more sleep and wishes the faucets from his upstairs bathroom would stop dripping. Once I stopped caring what was happening in the show, most of my interest was put into wondering if Crystal being generally “fine” was giving Before a modicum of grounding that it didn’t deserve or if there was any chance that a more comfortable dramatic actor might have taken this thin part and somehow elevated it. The conclusion I came to was that Crystal was, if not quite mah-velous, as good as this show could get. He’s not to blame for the lack of supporting players for him to act opposite, nor for the chronologically disorienting narrative that denies him a believable arc. As a vehicle for Crystal to prove that he can be humorlessly somber, Before at least fulfills a very basic mandate. But as a spiritual thriller with supernatural overtones, it’s a lifeless dud that will do little to change that running joke about Apple TV+ being a repository of star-studded limited series you’ve never heard of. ‎ MacDailyNews Take: “Of which you’ve never heard,” but we digress. Hey, they can’t all be winners! We are currently about 1/4th of the way to being sustainable with Substack subscriptions. Not a bad start! Please tell your Apple-loving friends about MacDailyNews on Substack and, if you’re currently a free subscriber, please consider $5/mo. or $50/year to keep MacDailyNews going. Just hit the subscribe button. Thank you! Upgrade to paid Invite your friends and earn rewards If you enjoy MacDailyNews, share it with your friends and earn rewards when they subscribe. Invite Friends   Like Comment Restack   © 2024 MacDailyNews 548 Market Street PMB 72296, San Francisco, CA 94104 Unsubscribe