HBO's Chillin Island is the anti-How To with John Wilson

Variety

"HBO is currently airing a superlative show about the serendipity and possibility of life, and the unexpected discoveries that can emerge through conversation and openness," says Daniel D'Addario. "That show, How To with John Wilson, finds a new timeslot partner, and a seeming companion piece, in Chillin Island, a series that uses unpolished chats between its hosts and guest stars to attempt to draw out grander revelations. But where How To is scrappy, beginning with humble ambitions and arriving at startling conclusions, Chillin Island, whose executive producers include director Josh Safdie, is self-consciously grandiose. New Yorkers Alec 'Despot' Reinstein, Ashok 'Dap' Kondabolu, and Aleksey 'Lakutis' Weintraub travel to natural settings (deserts, swamps, the open ocean) with recording artists with the stated mission of uncovering truths about humanity through discussion. What they arrive at is often a faux-profundity that rankles and irritates more than it could possibly enlighten. Part of this is the inevitable conclusion of a show that can feel heavy-handed and semi-staged." ALSO: Executive producer Josh Safdie says Chillin Island faced a unique challenge: "How to synthesize the show while also becoming something else."