Review: Living with Yourself (2019)

Living With Yourself (2019)

In this golden age of television there are a few base requirements that are usually needed for me to choose to invest my time and get onboard with a new show. That is, the show has to: 1. have an original concept/premise; 2. be well written and acted (obviously); and 3. not be a procedural (I am so so over cop, medical and legal shows). Here are a few examples of recent shows that I love: Fleabag, Bojack Horseman, Russian Doll, The Marvellous Mrs. Maisel, Succession, Barry, Killing Eve, Rick and Morty, Watchmen and probably some others I can't think of right now. P.S. feel free to comment below if you want me to review any of these particular shows.

Living With Yourself is a perfect example of a show that more-than-meets my criteria. It is an intimate and insular show with a great premise, great writing and a fantastic performance by Paul Rudd (and also Aisling Bea). Some may actually find it a little too low-key as it is very much a character piece but I really adore it for this reason.

I don't want to spoil the show too much as most episodes are capped with cliffhangers. However, the basic premise is that Rudd's Miles Elliot discovers that there is an alternate version of himself living in his world. The narrow focus of this creative concept is the perfect vehicle to allow a dive into some heady themes about marriage, self-identity, self-improvement, depression and others, all of which this show tackles admirably. Additionally, with only 8 episodes of 25 minutes each, this show is ridiculously easy to binge, and, unlike many shows of yesteryear, this one does not overstay its welcome but makes you excited for more in future seasons.

Credit must be given to the show's creator, Timothy Greenberg, who wrote the entire series, and to Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris who co-directed all of the episodes. There is very much a unified and cohesive flow to the series that must be credited to the great work of these three individuals. As mentioned earlier too, I would say that this is Paul Rudd's finest work to date (playing multiple yet distinct versions of the same character) and clearly illustrates his capabilities as one of the best working actors today. For anyone who enjoys introspective, exceptionally well-made dramedies, I really recommend checking out Living with Yourself.

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