Cooper Raiff didn’t want to change his TV series, so he chose to make it independently

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Hal is finding it hard to get used to first grade. He confides in his older sister, Harper, who’s in third grade. Harper, used to looking after her little brother, tries to cheer him up, but she does so while secretly smoking a cigarette.

Wait, what?

I’m really drawn to the story at the heart of Cooper Raiff’s new series, “Hal & Harper.” It’s about these two brothers who experienced a huge loss very young – their mom passed away when they were just toddlers. It’s fascinating to see how that shaped them, forcing them to mature quickly but also leaving them with some deep emotional challenges. It’s a really moving premise, and I’m excited to see how it unfolds.

The film shows brief, happy scenes of Hal and Harper as children before tragedy strikes their family. Actor Justin Baldoni plays Hal at both age 22 and as a 7-year-old, and Lili Reinhart portrays Harper at 24 and 9. These younger versions hint at the personalities they’ll become as adults – we even see young Harper reading a complex novel during playtime – and their adult selves still carry the emotional weight of those childhood experiences.

The family portrait becomes especially moving when Raiff reveals the history of Hal and Harper’s father (Mark Ruffalo), who struggled with deep depression after their mother’s unexpected death. Now, twenty years later, he and his girlfriend Kate (Betty Gilpin) are selling the family home and expecting a baby, which brings up painful memories and emotions for everyone.

According to Raiff, Hal and Harper are struggling a lot. He initially told friends the show wasn’t based on his own experiences, repeatedly saying, ‘This isn’t my life.’

Raiff explains that his girlfriend, Addison Timlin – an actress on the show – perfectly captured what it’s really about. She pointed out that the show isn’t based on made-up ideas, but rather explores painful memories we’ve subconsciously forgotten.

At age four, Raiff went through a significant family event that he hasn’t discussed publicly in detail, but it deeply influenced how he views life and his work. This experience informed his film, “Cha Cha Real Smooth,” where he played Andrew, a character whose mother has bipolar disorder. Like his previous character, Hal, Andrew was forced to grow up fast, struggles with unhealthy attachments, and fears being alone. Raiff notes that Harper, another character in the film, carries the weight of the family’s emotional burdens.

Movies

The film ‘Cha Cha Real Smooth,’ released by Apple, is helping to launch the careers of both 25-year-old Cooper Raiff, who wrote, directed, and starred in the movie, and 18-year-old actress Vanessa Burghardt.

Director Raiff uses simple, direct storytelling and a shaky camera style to emphasize the characters’ emotions. Instead of questioning when to use handheld shots, the team often asked when to use *stable* shots, as a sense of unease was the goal. Raiff particularly likes scenes filmed close-up, feeling they create a very intimate and immediate experience for the viewer.

The actors were attracted to the show because of its honest and realistic portrayal of human emotions. Madelaine Reinhart explained, “Cooper gave me the entire script – over 300 pages – and it was the best I’d ever seen. I was actually sad when I finished it, I didn’t want the story to end.”

Reinhart connected with Harper’s character because she herself was a thoughtful and somewhat sad child who struggled to fit in. To prepare for the role, she read the book “Motherless Daughters” by Hope Edelman, which helped her understand Harper as someone constantly detached from reality. Losing her mother forced Harper to quickly become the family’s caregiver, and she protects herself by hiding her emotions and pushing away any happiness.

Gilpin was struck by how much thought Raiff put into every aspect of the show. She noted that even from the first page of the script, it was clear he’d carefully developed the history and motivations of each character and envisioned every scene with great detail. She believes the show feels authentic and respectful of the audience’s intelligence, capturing the messy, unpredictable dynamics that define real families.

Raiff started creating “Hal & Harper” as a web series during his college years. It began with young Hal and Harper discussing their father’s words each night, all within a single bedroom setting. Later, he broadened the story to include older versions of Hal and Harper, as well as the characters of Dad and Kate. Their introduction in the third episode shifted the series towards a more serious and complex tone.

Many viewers found the relationship in the show difficult to watch, and some needed a few episodes to move past it, Raiff explains. He believes Gilpin, who was pregnant during filming, brought valuable perspective to her character. She particularly emphasized the significance of the father missing out on the experience of her pregnancy, which added depth to the storyline.

Raiff originally developed the series for FX, but network executives didn’t connect with the story of Dad and Kate. He remembers constant suggestions to make it about college life, and one executive even told him to watch the show “Greek” for inspiration. Raiff realized then that the project wasn’t a good fit for FX.

The network executives wanted to remove Dad and Kate from the show, but Raiff was determined to stick with his original idea. He explains, “I especially love the third episode. While shows need to be funny and engaging, and this one is called ‘Hal & Harper,’ the core of the story is about Dad coming to terms with not being a father and deciding that the only way to make things right – for the world and his children – is to simply stay in their old house and remain there.”

Raiff regained control of his show and decided to produce it on his own. Reinhart joined as an executive producer to help boost its visibility, and Raiff managed to fund the entire season for roughly the cost of just the first episode when it was at FX.

The project initially received funding from Lionsgate, but faced new challenges after filming was completed. Raiff explains that executives didn’t fully watch the series, so he presented a one-hour preview. He remembers them being deeply moved – some even left the screening in tears, saying it made them question their careers and need emotional support. While the reaction was strong, it didn’t lead to any offers. Raiff later discovered the executives were unsure how to handle such an emotionally impactful show.

Cooper Raiff not only starred in and wrote “Hal & Harper,” but he also directed it. He decided to create the show on his own because he faced some challenges getting others to support his vision. (Mubi)

Reinhart was really discouraged. She explains that it was devastating to think the show might not air because it didn’t fit the typical mold for shows people watch all at once. She even thought she’d never work on an independently produced TV show again.

Raiff premiered “Hal & Harper” at the Sundance Film Festival in January, and Mubi subsequently acquired it. In an email, Mubi’s head of content, Jason Ropell, explained that seeing the completed film made the decision to purchase it much simpler, as it eliminated concerns about how it would turn out. He acknowledged some risk but believes there’s a demand for this type of filmmaking approach.

“Hal & Harper” is part of a small but increasing movement in independent television, aiming to change the industry much like independent film did. Kit Williamson, the actor and creator of “Unconventional,” points out that web series initially gained popularity as low-budget projects, with successful ones often being acquired by major networks. Issa Rae’s “Awkward Black Girl,” for example, led to her show “Insecure” on HBO, which also purchased “High Maintenance.” Similarly, Netflix picked up Williamson’s series, “Eastsiders.”

Television

Featuring Kit Williamson, this show is Revry’s very first original scripted series, and it perfectly embodies the network’s goals as an LGBTQ+ streaming service.

However, the new approach required fully funding an entire season of the show upfront to try and sell it. Williamson chose this method for “Unconventional” because he wanted to create a boldly queer relationship show, free from the pressure to conform to mainstream expectations, and felt he needed a different strategy to achieve that. (He ultimately sold the show to Revry, a streaming service focused on LGBTQ+ content, and it’s also available on platforms like Philo and Pluto.)

According to Gilpin, television is becoming increasingly cautious, with networks now even doing extra checks to ensure the plot is understandable even for viewers who are distracted by their phones. She believes it’s important to challenge this trend and create shows that are more ambitious and engaging, even if they require more attention from the audience.

Michael Polish, a director known for independent films and now TV with his show “Bring on the Dancing Horses,” believes showrunners will increasingly create bold, unconventional content outside of traditional television networks, much like filmmakers did in the past.

Williamson notes that people are generally frustrated with how slowly things are moving and a reluctance to try new things. However, it’s still too early to tell if this will lead to a period of rapid, potentially chaotic growth.

Several creators have found success with streaming platforms recently. The Duplass brothers sold both “Penelope” to Netflix and “The Creep Tapes” to Shudder, while comedian Shane Gillis’s “Tires” became a hit on Netflix. Playwright and TV writer Michele Palermo also saw success with “Middlehood” on Prime Video.

Even animated shows, which are typically more expensive to create, are starting to follow this trend, according to Orion Tate, founder and creative leader at Buck. Buck has several shows in the works that he’s aiming to produce independently. “Our goal is to develop these shows completely on our own, and then find a distribution partner,” he explains.

Claire Taylor, head of programming for the SeriesFest TV festival, notes that more and more studio and production company representatives are attending the event to look for new projects.

Directors like Mark Duplass and Cooper Raiff are proving that independent filmmakers can succeed by staying true to their vision,” she explains. “However, it will take many more examples of this to open doors for filmmakers who don’t already have a strong reputation.”

While Polish’s series are available in Europe and Canada on Paramount+, they haven’t yet launched in the United States. He notes that the independent film world offers more distribution options and festivals. Polish believes the addition of a TV pilot section at Sundance was a significant development for independent television. He predicts independent TV will truly succeed when a streaming service creates a dedicated team to acquire these kinds of shows.

Reinhart now supports the idea, admitting that starting an independent TV show is difficult, but she feels fortunate to have had the opportunity.

She admits the show might not reach a massive audience, but believes it’s one that will stay with viewers long after they’ve watched it. She’d rather create something meaningful for a smaller group than something broadly popular that’s quickly forgotten on a streaming service.

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2025-10-17 13:32