It Gets Worse

It Gets Worse was one of the funniest and most refreshing things I watched at this year’s London Film Festival. The new sitcom, starring comedian Leo Reich, manages to do something that most television supposedly written for Gen Z fails at: actually be relatable to young people.

I loved how raw and open it felt. The dialogue was natural, the characters were believable, and the humour never seemed forced. So much of the media aimed at Gen Z seems desperate to prove that it understands young people, throwing in references and slang in an attempt to appear relevant. It Gets Worse doesn’t bother with any of that. It isn’t trying particularly hard to be clever, provocative or relatable – it just is. And that is exactly what makes it so funny.

Reich is excellent, delivering a performance that feels both wonderfully ridiculous and completely authentic. The entire cast is brilliant, each actor bringing something genuinely funny to the series. I was also particularly delighted by Lena Dunham’s cameo, which felt like a fitting addition to a show so unapologetically honest about the messiness of being young.

There is something refreshing about a sitcom that doesn’t feel the need to dress up its characters’ flaws or turn every uncomfortable interaction into some profound social commentary. It is awkward, occasionally absurd, and wonderfully unfiltered. More importantly, it feels real. I appreciated the show’s willingness to let its characters do bad things without necessarily making them bad people. Nobody is entirely innocent, but nobody is irredeemable either. It reflects the reality that people are complicated, often selfish and occasionally pretty awful, without any of those things defining who they are. Real life is rarely black and white, and we all find ways to justify our own behaviour, even when we know we’re in the wrong. It Gets Worse doesn’t feel the need to pass judgement on its characters, instead allowing them to be flawed, contradictory, and ultimately human.

I went into the screening in a strange mood, not wanting to watch anything at all, and actually left feeling considerably better. There was something weirdly comforting about It Gets Worse, despite (or maybe because of) how messy and unfiltered it was. It was reassuring to watch characters navigate their lives so imperfectly, without the show feeling the need to offer any neat resolutions.

I saw the first three episodes at the festival and will absolutely be watching the remaining three. It’s rare to find something that feels so distinctly written for young people without being remotely patronising towards them.