Movies

An animated thriller takes on Big Pharma, with ‘King of the Hill’ heart

BBG News

Animation is versatile enough to convey almost anything that live-action films can, and even more beyond that. Each animator crafts a unique physical universe with distinct landscapes, buildings, and character designs. Therefore, when animators adapt established live-action genres, the outcome often feels familiar yet remarkably different.

In using caricature, distortion, and exaggeration, art may appear “grotesque,” yet it doesn’t have to portray grotesqueness; instead, it can express something entirely different. Similar to many pioneering cartoons, the artwork in “Common Side Effects,” airing Sunday on Adult Swim and streaming from Monday on Max, resembles underground comics more than traditional animation. Characters with oversized heads, small bodies, tiny mouths, and hands may seem out of proportion or even a bit rough, but this doesn’t diminish their expressiveness or make them laughable. (Detailed backgrounds provide a realistic touch.) They perfectly encapsulate the relatively ordinary individuals they represent, though, as characters in an extravagant storyline, they are not typical.

Hailing from the creative minds of Joseph Bennett and Steve Hely, this series revolves around an extraordinary mushroom, not your typical “magic mushroom,” but one with healing properties akin to magic, potentially capable of curing all ills. This miraculous fungus was chanced upon by Marshall (Dave King), a kind-hearted yet unconventional botanist, in the dense Peruvian forest. He’s a rugged individual, always seen with an open shirt, shorts, sandals, and a bucket hat, under constant government scrutiny. The pharmaceutical industry, as portrayed here, is not just reluctant but actively prepared to resort to lethal measures to prevent such business from thriving, as they see it as a threat to their profit-driven model that profits from keeping people ill.

Following an interruption of a talk given by Rick (produced by Mike Judge), Marshall encounters Frances (Emily Pendergast), a high school acquaintance – the type where she was the attractive lab partner and he, well, the nerdy one. Unbeknownst to him, Frances works as an assistant for the man Marshall had just criticized. After showcasing the medicinal qualities of the mushroom, she decides to present it to her disgruntled superior, who’s concerned about losing his position due to poor business performance.

Marshall might remark about Rick, the man who picks his nose after drinking wine, by saying he’s not cunning enough to be truly malicious. Instead, Marshall suggests that Rick is more like a servant of wicked powers, serving as their dim-witted butler, if you will, much like the devil’s underling.

The DEA duo of Harrington (portrayed by Martha Kelly, famously known for “Baskets”) and Copano (Joseph Lee Anderson) are pursuing Marshall, reminiscent of amiable but not-entirely-innocent cops. They engage in familiar cop banter while passing time, sharing favorite songs, and synchronizing their movements with the rhythm of the music. Harrington occasionally fiddles with Scotch tape, while Copano lounges in his underwear watching samurai films and consuming Chinese takeout leftovers. However, there are other agents working for shadowy organizations. Consequently, Marshall eludes them by fleeing, accompanied by a tortoise he brought from Peru. It’s likely that they will eventually be chasing each other.

In a somewhat trippy fashion, when mushrooms take effect, they bring about peculiar scenes featuring tiny, furless beings. However, in the four episodes examined so far, it’s largely an ordinary world, albeit with potential for further oddities given its Adult Swim origin. The characters are familiar without extensive backstory. Although a narrative could potentially be delivered using live actors and real environments, the level of exaggeration and satire might dilute the human aspect, ironically making it less relatable. Animation maintains a grounded, believable, and profound feel to it.

The narrative is skillfully crafted through excellent writing and understated acting, creating a mostly subdued atmosphere. It incorporates elements like pursuits, gunfights, peculiar side characters, and a robot spider camera, but maintains a straightforward tone. Essentially, it reimagines the everyday humor of “King of the Hill” by Judge and Greg Daniels (also executive producers here) into a half-humorous conspiracy thriller, filled with emotion. And the finest thrillers always possess a touch of humor and compassion.

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2025-01-31 23:31

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