Painting With John and How To with John Wilson have one thing in common: They are strangely low-key

The New Republic

"How to With John Wilson, like Painting With John, is a playful riff on the instructional video," says John Semley. "It’s equally indebted to chipper YouTubers with their 'Hey, guys!' intros and the experimental New York City confessional films of Jim McBride and Jonas Mekas...Both shows are rooted in a deep intimacy, a rare quality in an era of social distancing. Like Wilson, (John) Lurie doesn’t just invite you into his neurotic headspace. He traps you there. It proves a bit frustrating, even alienating. Still, such feelings are themselves refreshing, distinguishing these shows from the usual raft of streaming content that viewers are encouraged to consume in marathon 'binges.' I found myself only able to tolerate one or two episode of How To at a time and savoring Painting With John as a bedtime digestif, an extended moment of zen."