His new Apple TV+ streaming series that he directed six episodes of, Severance, including the first three I am reviewing in this article, has been a total critical success thus far with only three episodes released. It is easy to see why. It is beautifully shot, features nuanced and deeply felt performances from the entire cast, is directed with precision and depth I had not seen from Mr. Stiller until now, and has a relevant topic that has only become more thermonuclear since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The pilot begins with a woman, Britt Lower’s character, Helly (har har), waking up in a corporate office space unaware of who she is or why she is there. This could easily be called “Monday morning at the office” for millions of American workers, btw.