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Here’s a current recommendation for your weekend binge watch. If you haven’t been watching the show, though, now is the chance to catch up. If you haven’t been watching Hulu’s The Dropout, I highly recommend it.
The miniseries is focused on the story of Elizabeth Holmes, the woman behind the Theranos deceptions. I had heard the story sort of, so I was aware of it, but I didn’t necessarily know the details. It seemed interesting enough, though, so I decided to watch it. So far, it’s been very good.
A lot of that comes down to the performance of Amanda Seyfried as Holmes. I’m already ready to give her an Emmy. She’s fantastic. Absolutely gripping. Not being familiar with the real Holmes, I don’t know how much she is replicating her personal tics, but nevertheless the character feels fully formed and it’s a great performance. It’s weird that apparently Kate McKinnon was originally in line to play Holmes. She should have been all wrong for it, especially since when the show begins Holmes is still a teenager.
The supporting cast is quite good as well. Hulu flexed some muscles to get the likes of Laurie Metcalf, Stephen Fry, and William H. Macy in supporting roles. Even the lesser-known names have been quite good. There’s more to the quality of The Dropout than the acting. It’s well written, has some great needle drops, and is surprisingly well directed. I say “surprisingly” because Michael Showalter worked as a director on this show. I find him to be a genuinely bad film director. Maybe the confines of television work better for him. Also, TV is not a director’s medium like film. That could play a role in it.
Even if the Theranos story doesn’t inherently interest you, I’d give The Dropout a shot. It’s worth watching for Seyfried’s performance alone. Let the Emmy campaign begin.
