'All's Fair' Director Reacts to Negative Reviews & Criticisms of New Kim Kardashian-Led Hulu Series
All’s Fair has captured the attention of viewers, but not so much from critics.
The new Hulu series, which stars Kim Kardashian, Naomi Watts, Niecy Nash-Betts and more, premiered the first three episodes this week and has received highly critical and negative reviews.
In a new interview, director Anthony Hemingway, who directed four episodes, is speaking out in defense of the series and reacting to the negative critiques.
Keep reading to find out more…
“You’re not going to please everybody. You may have certain criticisms, while there are a million others who love it. I think the show holds a mirror up to each person who watches it,” he told THR. “It’s just about: Can you connect to it or relate to it, and see yourself? It may be out of your league, it may not be anything you can connect to, and I think that goes for anything that gets presented on screen.”
“It’s entertainment, it’s a comedy, and it’s a matter of finding ways to tap into real conversations and real human dynamics in a different way,” Anthony continued. “Every time you meet any sort of difference, it takes a minute to either develop a taste for it or not. It may not be for you, and that’s OK, but I personally enjoy the show. I had a lot of fun relating to it in my own way. Not everything is for everybody, and you can’t also expect one person to define something and for that be the totality of what it is — I don’t agree with that.”
“I also think sometimes things may take time. I did The Wire. No one liked the show when it was out. They hated it. They didn’t watch it. Two people watched it every week. But it got to a point where it found a moment,” the director shared. “I’m not comparing the show to The Wire — let’s get that straight — but it’s an example of how people can react to something in one moment and it becomes something totally different in another time. The show takes a minute to get into gear, but I do feel like it is absolutely striking something that is refreshing and creatively fulfilling.”
Anthony also addressed the critiques of the show’s disconnect from what it was billed as to what it’s being received as.
“Unfortunately, there are expectations for the show that are being defied or not met, because it’s not what they expected it to be. When you put the word ‘legal’ and use the word ‘drama’ lightly in certain things, that strikes a certain expectation, and [that expectation] is not fully what the show was meant to be,” he said. “There’s a lot of wish fulfillment in this show that was by design, and it’s coming at a time where people want an escape and to fantasize. There are elements of this show that effectively do that, where it’s not taking itself so serious. It wouldn’t be a comedy if it was trying to be that.”
“Everything is so dark and heavy and decisive, and here you have this show that can connect to real conversations, but with a different palette. It’s a way to connect to the human condition and certain aspects of humanity. I think that it ultimately delivers. I do. I believe it. Hopefully opinions will change. But if they don’t, then they don’t. What we are all doing excites us, and we stand by it.”
Anthony then addressed the audience who is watching the show or wants to tune in.
“Also, [I would say to audiences]: Don’t come at it with such a critical or literal frame of mind. It strikes a different tone, and it will evolve over time; it will get more human. Something that was important to Ryan [Murphy] was fulfilling fantasies,” he said. “[He was] wanting people to see what they may not be able to obtain, but can escape into and live out through an entertainment space. [He wanted to] give some wish fulfillment and light to this world.”
Watch the trailer for the series here. The first three episodes are now streaming on Hulu with new episodes debuting weekly on Tuesdays.