TechRadar Verdict
Steve Carell returns to his comedic roots in the raw and funny new comedy series, Rooster. He’s joined by an ensemble cast, making this a great weekend watch.
Benefits
- +
Steve Carell and Charly Clive have a great on-screen dynamic
- +
A familiar supporting cast of great comedic actors
- +
Addresses important themes and mixes comedy and drama well
- +
Great soundtrack
- +
The 30-minute episodes make this an easy, well-paced weekend watch
Disadvantages
- –
I’m not a big fan of oversaturated cinematography; it’s a choice
- –
There are some current jokes that don’t really hit
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I really enjoyed following Steve Carell’s career over the years. Whether it’s his iconic role as Michael Scott in The office or his much more serious performance as Alan Strauss in Hulu’s The patientI’ve always been impressed by what he does.
In HBO Max RoosterCarell plays Greg Russo. He is the author of a series of books about a main character called, you guessed it, Rooster. Russo gained a fandom through this character even though he wasn’t as successful himself, with painful emotions surfacing as he returns to the same art school, Ludlow, where his wife left him 25 years ago.
Outside of the comedy, however, the series does a good job of getting serious moments right. Katie is terrible at emotional vulnerability, using sarcasm as a shield, and Greg doesn’t really know how to deal with that. He’s just not as cool and collected as Rooster, despite his efforts to imitate him.
Greg ends up having a tequila-induced heart-to-heart with Dylan Shepard, a bubbly faculty member played by Danielle Deadwyle, where we learn more about his failed marriage, so the series is character-driven from the start. They clearly have chemistry too, which makes me excited to see how this plays out over the next nine episodes.
Rooster has all the ingredients for a fun weekend watch. With quick, easy-to-watch episodes, the Sunday time slot is ideal for this show. Episodes are released weekly, and you can easily fit them into your streaming schedule if you want something light-hearted that still gives you food for thought.
I found the way Rooster was filmed a little shockingly, but honestly that doesn’t take away from the excellent performances and important themes explored. It’s a fun addition to the HBO Max library, showcasing Carell at his best, where he effortlessly mixes humor and seriousness.
Rooster | Official trailer | HBO Max – YouTube 
Look on it
Rooster is available on HBO Max in the US and Australia, and on Sky Comedy in the UK.
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Senior Entertainment Editor
Lucy is a long-time film and television fan and an approved reviewer on Rotten Tomatoes. She has written several reviews in her time, starting with a small self-run blog called Lucy Goes to Hollywood before moving on to larger websites such as What’s on TV and What to Watch, with TechRadar being her most recent venture. Her interests lie primarily in horror and thriller, loving nothing more than a scary story that makes her think moments after the credits roll. Many of these scary stories can be found on the streaming services she covers regularly.
When she’s not scaring herself with the different shows and movies she watches, she likes to relax by playing video games on easy mode and has no shame in admitting that she’s bad at it. She also quotes The Simpsons religiously and sports a Blinky the Fish tattoo, reinforcing her complete nerd stance.