‘It’s Florida, Man’ review: A mean meme gets a dose of humanity

It is Florida, Man is right here to make you rethink the meme that concurrently celebrates and denigrates a selected model of American eccentric. From the producers of The Righteous Gem stones, this new HBO Authentic performs like Drunk Historical past meets The Jinx, strolling a high-quality line between enlightened empathy and smirking exploitation. 

For these unfamiliar, the title of “Florida Man” comes from the headlines of surprising information tales out of the Sunshine State, particularly people who succinctly paint a daft image of debauchery, destruction, or embarrassment. From this, the Florida Man meme rose to prominence on social media, sharing snippets of outrageous tales for simple laughs, carelessly turning perpetrators and victims alike into punchlines.

Created by Mark Herwick, It is Florida, Man presents those that survived their brushes with being the butt finish of the meme to talk for themselves. Bringing buoyancy and a little bit of star energy to the present’s dedicatedly humorous re-enactments is a cavalcade of visitor stars that features Anna Faris, Randall Park, Jake Johnson, Juliette Lewis, Simon Rex, Ego Nwodim, and Sam Richardson. 

From episode to episode, the tone can shift radically, because the staff behind It is Florida, Man appears uneasy in turning all the pieces into comedy fodder. However general, there’s one thing undeniably charming about these Florida women and men who refuse to be outlined by web snark and quarter-hour of infamy. 

What’s It is Florida, Man about?

Ego Nwodim and Sam Richardson co-star in “Toes” in “It is Florida, Man.”
Credit score: HBO

Earlier than every of six episodes, a gap narration from King of the Hill alum and native Floridian Stephen Root guarantees the next: 

“What you are about to see could also be harmful, petty, misguided, however most positively silly. But it surely’s additionally all true. Kind of.” 

The primary 4 episodes launched to critics contain a saucy plan for vengeance, a feud between an expert mermaid and a practising witch, an alligator-attacked optimist, and a pair of buddies who tackle a terrifyingly toe-curling Craigslist advert. In every of those cases, It is Florida, Man sits down with the themes, permitting them to inform these tales in their very own phrases. A few of these phrases will probably be repeated by the comedic performers, bringing a broad humor to the re-enactments. However some traces are greatest from the supply. 

As an example, in episode two, “Gator,” self-proclaimed Florida Man Eric Merda declares of the doubtful distinction, “I am not the sharpest instrument within the shed, however I will stab you with the sharpest instrument!”

It is Florida, Man proudly showcases a rough-edged allure. 

Of the primary 4 episodes, “Gator” is probably the most compelling. Simon Rex stars as Eric Merda, whose brush with an alligator left him with one arm. Leaning into the identical crooked comedic sensibility of the critically acclaimed dramedy Crimson Rocket, Rex is radiant with a sunburned vulnerability. Whether or not gathering trash on the facet of the highway or swimming peacefully in a gator-infested lake, Rex carries with him a jubilance that’s not solely interesting but in addition displays the power of Merda in his interviews.

This Florida Man tells the documentarians that many see his story as a tragedy, however he sees it as a brand new starting. “Gator” portrays that model convincingly by Merda’s lens. On this means, It is Florida, Man evangelizes for the unbelievable freedom of letting go of different individuals’s perceptions of you. Who cares what social media or an interviewed psychic may say concerning the religious imaginative and prescient Merda swears he encountered within the swamp? As goofy as this story begins, Merda’s moxie and message of private renewal are inspiring.

Merda’s the primary to confess he was a “piece of shit” who made a wildly silly mistake that bought him grievously injured. However he is pleased with the place he ended up, so he appreciates the entire of the expertise, limb loss and all! This joyous portrait complicates the thought of a Florida Man, which appears to be the aim of this curious sequence. Individuals who have been written off by the web as rednecks or worse are given an opportunity to share not solely their inner logic behind these questionable choices, but in addition their persona, their humor, and their humanity.

Nevertheless, not each episode is so profitable.

“Mermaids” is a low level in It is Florida, Man.

Anna Faris seems in “Mermaids” in “It is Florida, Man.”
Credit score: HBO

Within the trailer, “Mermaids” appears completely pleasant, that includes Anna Farris and It is All the time Sunny in Philadelphia‘s Mary Elizabeth Ellis as warring skilled mermaids in a kitschy battle that might be well-suited to a Kristen Wiig film. Nevertheless, gruff phrases poolside lead swiftly to unemployment, on-line harassment, and in the end police corruption being uncovered.

Whereas “Toes” and “Saucy” contain extra violent incidents, “Mermaids” veers probably the most into true crime drama, particularly recalling the tense docuseries Worry Thy Neighbor (additionally on Max). Certain, mermaid costumes involving shimmery, rubber fish tails and bare witchcraft rituals make for flashy headlines. However inside this present, that’s not sufficient to make this story humorous, particularly when the struggling is ongoing.

At one level, harassed mermaid Whitney Honest (whose story is on the coronary heart of this episode) breaks down into tears recounting the occasions. The documentarians let the digicam run as a crew member comforts her by this tough second on digicam. Moments like this are frequent in straight-faced true crime documentaries. Such photographs reveal the uncooked ache that lies beneath a practiced courageous face — the type that victims are socialized to put on when recalling the worst day of their life for an viewers that is just a little too wanting to witness it. The identical is true in It is Florida, Man.

Honest’s guard is dropped, and we will see the emotional pressure this feud has had past the headlines. With that, it’s a lot more durable to giggle on the re-enactments, regardless of how gleefully kitschy Ferris and Ellis are of their roles. As such, this episode would not bolster Honest’s perspective; it appears to mock her, undercutting the present’s overarching empathy and revealing us because the detail-hungry viewers members we actually are.

It is Florida, Man is downright addictive.

Juliette Lewis seems in “It is Florida, Man.”
Credit score: HBO

There’s definitely a component of parody to the comedian portrayals, which use the interview topics as a launching pad for bodily comedy, goofy mugging, and kooky quips. However as is the case with The Righteous Gem stones or the work of the Coen Bros’ nation crime comedies, there’s additionally a joyous appreciation for this wonky American outlaw.

They might be petty, reckless, and even silly, however there’s a purpose they fascinate us. Maybe you learn a Florida Man headline and chuckle. However don’t you additionally surprise what led to that second? Extremely, listening to the total story doesn’t make these tall tales any smaller. It personalizes them, urging us to see their topics as persons are not punchlines. You’ll doubtless be guffawing, guffawing, and repeating in shock a few of the witticisms or rejoinders that these interviewees share with unimaginable generosity of spirit. However you additionally stroll away with a deeper respect for the individuals who had a very wild time and got here by the opposite facet — maybe not unscathed however nonetheless unapologetically themselves. 

It is Florida, Man debuts on HBO Oct. 18 11:00 ET, and also will be accessible to stream on Max. New episodes air weekly.