HBO Max's coming-of-age comedy Frayed is often charming and funny, even when it meanders
-
The 1980s-set British and Australian family comedy "juggles a lot of different narratives, not all of which are given the time and depth they deserve (there’s one in particular that escalates to an extreme moment that just doesn’t have enough groundwork to land)," says Allison Keene. "And yet, the word I kept returning to when making my review notes was 'charming.' Even when it meanders—perhaps especially so—the show is overflowing with it. It’s also funny, weird, and foul-mouthed, but more than anything it quietly makes you care fully about these characters and this quirky little world as it fans out to explore all of their individual stories. It’s not exactly heartwarming, but there are natural moments that signify growth and change that put it more into the category of family drama than satirical comedy (although it absolutely has elements of both). To reveal more, though, would be to give away too many of the show’s setups and twists."
ALSO:
- For a story set in the late 1980s, Frayed doesn't go overboard with an oversaturation of “hey, look what year it is!” nods
- Frayed is middling a lot of the time, especially when it comes to its emotional stakes and the more dramatic tensions
