STARSTRUCK
In the pilot of STARSTRUCK (trailer here), Jessie (played by the show’s creator Rose Matafeo), begrudgingly celebrates New Year’s Eve with her best friend, and ends up sleeping with a man she meets in a nightclub bathroom—only to learn the next morning that he’s mega-famous movie star Tom Kapoor (Nikesh Patel). The rest of the six-episode rom-com chronicles their chance encounters and uncertain attempts to reunite. It’s not a will-they-won’t-they so much as a desperate why-won’t-they. Although they’re obviously interested in each other, personal hang-ups prevent both characters from seriously trying to make things work. The series is at its best in the moments when it explores these vulnerabilities—a highlight for me is a monologue delivered by Matafeo’s character, a late-20’s New Zealander living in London, which perfectly expresses the loneliness that can come with being young in a city. And if all that still isn’t enough for you, the show is also very funny. Check it out on HBO Max!
—Nolan Russell, Executive Assistant
