Fox’s newest series, The Last Man on Earth, has officially made it’s debut. The post-apocalyptic comedy, created by and starring Will Forte (Saturday Night Live), opened to some pretty strong ratings. The show is also directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, who you may know as the creative force behind 21 Jump Street and The Lego Movie. That’s good and all, but what did the critics have to say about The Last Man on Earth? Check out some of what they had to say below.
The Last Man On Earth Reviews
Entertainment Weekly loves the tone.
“Will Forte, the show’s creator and star, gifted at character-oriented comedy and poignancy, keeps Phil light, grounded, affecting. The images are breakdown poetic, the pacing is brisk, the tone is gritty-sweet. There’s a great scene when Phil engages a mannequin with romantic banter and convinces himself of having a genuine moment of human connection until a gag shatters the illusion. The direction by Phil’s namesakes, Phil Lord and Chris Miller, the performance by Forte, and the timing are just perfect. “You win,” Phil sighs to the heavens. “You win.” It’s hilarious and heartbreaking all at once.”
The Hollywood Reporter finds it excitingly original.
“Above and beyond all the joy I got from watching the first three episodes of The Last Man On Earth, it was the frame of mind the series put me in that was really memorable. I watched the first one and then simply paused it and tried to remember the last time I felt struck hard by such originality or witnessed such a significant deviation from the safe comedic norm of television.”
Esquire believes it can be the Breaking Bad of sitcoms.
“That style of comedy is hard to come by on television. Television is often declared the “writer’s medium,” where words are priority and direction stands out of the way. Last Man believes comedy can look great too. Miller and Lord give the show a strong visual identity, utilizing Southwestern vistas and McMansion neighborhoods to play up Phil’s nightmare situation. They can, and do, drag Forte across the dirt like a sack of potatoes, his giant Robinson Crusoe beard reminding us how far the actor will go for the odd, odd show. The full package of stylish directing and existential buffoonery turns Last Man on Earth into the Breaking Bad of sitcoms.”
The LA Times think it needs some work, though it’s not necessarily bad.
“Nevertheless, as sitcoms go, this one is unusually elemental. From the two episodes available for review, which air consecutively on Sunday, it is hard to say just where it’s headed; there are times when it rubbed me a little the wrong way, but I suspect that might be intentional, part of the longer game. Phil is a hero who needs work.
The New York Times likes it, but feels it’s out of place on Fox.
“This initial episode is unusual not so much for its story line and relative quiet (though Phil does talk to himself) as for its wistful tone and its reliance on sly visual jokes over written gags. It feels like a cable comedy that’s found its way onto a broadcast network — you’d expect it on FX, home of “Louie” and “Wilfred,” but it’s surprising on Fox.”
