Mr. Corman Review: Joseph Gordon-Levitt's 'existential crisis' series is quite worth the slow burn

Mr. Corman

Mr. Corman Cast: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Arturo Castro, Debra Winger, Juno Temple

Mr. Corman Creator: Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Streaming Platform: Apple TV+

Mr. Corman Stars: 3.5/5

There's something excruciatingly charming about Joseph Gordon-Levitt as he's able to encapsulate likeable honesty within the most mundane of fictional characters. The latest example being Mr. Corman, in which Joseph plays Josh, a fifth-grade teacher who's given up on his music career (as well as what his purpose is in life!) while ailing a broken heart and who's eerily similar in cynicism to Levitt's fan-favourite portrayal as Tom in the classic romantic comedy, 500 Days of Summer.

Giving existential crisis a run for its money, Josh Corman is riddled with crippling anxiety which is personified by the constant ringing of a bell to an impending meteor coming to get him at the trivialised moments which unsurprisingly, only Josh can see. Between his complicated relationships with his guilt-ridden mom Ruth (Debra Winger) and always in control sister Elizabeth (Shannon Woodward), his fractured equation with his estranged dad Artie (Hugo Weaving), his claustrophobic friendship with best friend and roommate Victor (Arturo Castro) and his wriggling heartbreak over a broken engagement from a dreamer of an ex-girlfriend Megan (Juno Temple), absolutely nothing is going right for our lead character. And he's excessively verbal about it, too!

Given how we continue to try and accept the reality of a global pandemic-driven world, one would wonder why such an anxious storyline will prompt us to binge watch 10 half an hour episodes of a miserable man in dire need of therapy over unsuccessfully awkward dates. However, Mr. Corman is wonderfully whimsical in how it treats Josh's anxiety and boggled mindset where he juggles between having too many expectations while spewing pessimistic monologues. Fortunately or unfortunately, Mr. Corman feels like a broken mirror to our own anxieties and how we use displacement as a tactic to play the blame game upon everyone but ourselves.

What makes Mr. Corman an interesting, introspective watch is how Josh is constantly called out on his complex world views and that he's blamed everyone around him, from his parents to his ex for why his life spectacularly sucks. Except, you know, himself! Honestly, after binge-watching the series at one go, I can only envision Joseph breathing life into Josh and his humdrum stroll of a life. Josh isn't a typical, empathetic character study but somehow, Levitt strikes a delicate balance between deluded awareness and a really sad chap who never grew up. Add on to the fact that Joseph's multi-facet cap as the star, creator, writer and director of Mr. Corman, you witness Levitt's adorably weird quirks seamlessly throughout the show.

Misery loves company and Arturo as Victor engulfs viewers with a delightful performance in what could have been an utterly drab series without him. In one particularly well fleshed out episode titled Mr. Castro, which is completely dedicated to Victor (and deservedly so!), his life in the UPS while handling the temper tantrums of his typical teenage daughter, who looks at life quite similar to Josh, Victor adds the necessary spunk which Josh so enviously requires.

Debra, as Ruth, is the perfect match to Josh's constantly conflicted state of mind and their butting heads make for some quality conversations, especially when it revolves around Ruth's boyfriend Frank (played by Winger's real-life husband, Arliss Howard). In a one-episode appearance, respectively, while Juno delights with her 'yet to get closure' ex shtick, Hugo continues to be brilliant as ever, playing Josh's schmuck of a father, who he arguably has way too much in common with. Shannon, as Elizabeth, plays another key aspect (to fruition!) in poking Josh's microscopic point of view, which is basically how "everything revolves around me." Jamie Chung's Emily, who doesn't make an appearance until the very end, delivers a fetching performance playing the apt 'loving life' counterpart to Josh's 'rigid, stirgent' attitude.

With a stellar cast, Mr. Corman may be an extremely simplistic plot but manages to intrigue with its suspension of disbelief sequences as the fantasy style overtakes pivotal moments. A potential argument between Josh and Ruth is metaphorically envisioned as a heartwarming musical number. A hilarious fight scene post a Halloween party sees Josh and Victor, along with Logic making his impressive acting debut as the chaotically hilarious Dax (an acquaintance of Josh through Megan), battle in classic comic book style featuring Arturo as Batman. In my personal favourite episode, where Josh envisions various 'What ifs' in his life, we're served diverse 'collage' animation on a silver platter which feels more like a feature film than an episodic show. Jaron Presant's tactful cinematography is to be thanked for that as is Brendan Heffernan and Meghan C. Rogers' elaborate production design and Sharidan Williams-Sotelo and Jonathan Woodford-Robinson's crisp editing. How else would New Zealand (where Joseph & Co. transferred the shoot amid the pandemic) look like Van Nuys, California?

Music is a major aspect in Mr. Corman, especially as a storyline arc and Nathan Johnson's quirky score assisted in adding sweet tenderness to Josh's eccentricities. Props to the sound mixing team as well for the relatable semblance in the most emotionally stirring sequences.

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There's also the inclusion of the COVID-19 pandemic which may restrict a few viewers from watching because doesn't one watch a movie or a series to escape from their harsh reality? However, in Mr. Corman's case, it makes perfect sense simply because one wants is curious to find out how a mentally confined Josh would fare in a physically enclosed environment. The anti-climatic ending may not satiate everyone's satisfaction but is catharsis ala Mr. Josh Corman style!

In finality, Mr. Corman is a series that is constantly evolving just like its lead protagonist and is quite worthy of its slow burn. For some, it may not be your cup of tea but if you're a black coffee kinda person, Mr. Corman is a bittersweet symphony.