They really missed an opportunity here not making Andy's first chef boyfriend become a Shake Shack style PE backed darling who comes for a cameo to smirk at Andy while serving them 300 dollar sea bream caviar mousse or whatever at a charity event.
The OG movie was in 2006, which was in that glorious lead-up prior to the 2008 financial crash and Great Recession. I was very young then, but seemed like opportunity abounded without any foreshadowing of what was about to happen.
In 2026, even though the stock market is at ATHs, it just seems like the economic opportunity is massively shrinking and existing social contracts no longer hold, namely in terms of political leadership. Things were obviously always corrupt to some extent, but there was trust in the institutions and leadership in 2006. Now that the ruling class has sown distrust in public institutions to line their own pockets, the only thing people trust now is the almighty dollar. Everyone I know is just racing to accumulate as much wealth as possible in grave fear because there is literally no point in doing anything else now as social safety nets are being defunded and few new policies being made in the favor of everyday people, whether true or not.
In the 2006 film, there were themes like ambition and fashion. In the 2026 film, it was literally all about money. Nothing else matters now.
This is all to say that everything in the US is a policy problem, and no one is stepping up to the plate to lead us through this AI revolution and give us hope. That everything will be okay because we can make policies that will not allow people to starve, and allow them to live good lives.
Obama's presidential campaign in 2008 was Hope. In 2026, it's all Fear.
THANK YOU for putting into words the feelings I could not quite identify after seeing this sequel - putting Miranda and Andy on the same plane, effectively, had me all confuzzled.
But your line "Entertainment of this nature is more like a mirror than a window...It's not their fault I don't like what I see." OOF. This was the review I needed to appreciate the film. Completely agree I was nostalgic for the first all over again.
Two things nobody tells you when the layoff actually lands. First, the severance number is an opening offer, not a final one — I've watched people add weeks just by calmly asking "is there any flexibility here?" Second, the release you sign to collect it often waives claims you don't even know you have yet. The move is the same one that works everywhere: "I'd like a few days to review this before I sign." They rarely pull the offer — they were counting on the shock to get a signature that same afternoon. Don't hand it to them.
I totally agree with your take about not liking the world that is represented in this movie - as it is our own. I luckily could compartmentalize my feelings about corporate greed and other associated bullshit (there is so much) and enjoy the movie and all of its callbacks to the original.
Thanks again for keeping up your thoughts on the increasingly more unhinged nature of the society we're living in even if it is in a "fictional" movie.
Interesting parallel to Bezos buying the Post and everyone’s initial optimism that since he is just a billion dollars wearing a trench coat this would mean they could be unprofitable and he could float them endlessly.
They really missed an opportunity here not making Andy's first chef boyfriend become a Shake Shack style PE backed darling who comes for a cameo to smirk at Andy while serving them 300 dollar sea bream caviar mousse or whatever at a charity event.
Thanks for putting into words (the perfect ones) the dread and disappointment I felt at the end of the movie. Couldn’t shake it off for days.
The OG movie was in 2006, which was in that glorious lead-up prior to the 2008 financial crash and Great Recession. I was very young then, but seemed like opportunity abounded without any foreshadowing of what was about to happen.
In 2026, even though the stock market is at ATHs, it just seems like the economic opportunity is massively shrinking and existing social contracts no longer hold, namely in terms of political leadership. Things were obviously always corrupt to some extent, but there was trust in the institutions and leadership in 2006. Now that the ruling class has sown distrust in public institutions to line their own pockets, the only thing people trust now is the almighty dollar. Everyone I know is just racing to accumulate as much wealth as possible in grave fear because there is literally no point in doing anything else now as social safety nets are being defunded and few new policies being made in the favor of everyday people, whether true or not.
In the 2006 film, there were themes like ambition and fashion. In the 2026 film, it was literally all about money. Nothing else matters now.
This is all to say that everything in the US is a policy problem, and no one is stepping up to the plate to lead us through this AI revolution and give us hope. That everything will be okay because we can make policies that will not allow people to starve, and allow them to live good lives.
Obama's presidential campaign in 2008 was Hope. In 2026, it's all Fear.
THANK YOU for putting into words the feelings I could not quite identify after seeing this sequel - putting Miranda and Andy on the same plane, effectively, had me all confuzzled.
But your line "Entertainment of this nature is more like a mirror than a window...It's not their fault I don't like what I see." OOF. This was the review I needed to appreciate the film. Completely agree I was nostalgic for the first all over again.
Oof. Maybe I'll just rewatch the first one!
Irv Ravitz had a tiny part in an elevator scene with Stanley Tucci lol
Two things nobody tells you when the layoff actually lands. First, the severance number is an opening offer, not a final one — I've watched people add weeks just by calmly asking "is there any flexibility here?" Second, the release you sign to collect it often waives claims you don't even know you have yet. The move is the same one that works everywhere: "I'd like a few days to review this before I sign." They rarely pull the offer — they were counting on the shock to get a signature that same afternoon. Don't hand it to them.
“The villain is corporate greed. [...] It’s — dare I say it? — late-stage capitalism.” I think at this point that’s all our villain isn’t it?
I totally agree with your take about not liking the world that is represented in this movie - as it is our own. I luckily could compartmentalize my feelings about corporate greed and other associated bullshit (there is so much) and enjoy the movie and all of its callbacks to the original.
Thanks again for keeping up your thoughts on the increasingly more unhinged nature of the society we're living in even if it is in a "fictional" movie.
LOL'd @ "Beff Jezos"
Interesting parallel to Bezos buying the Post and everyone’s initial optimism that since he is just a billion dollars wearing a trench coat this would mean they could be unprofitable and he could float them endlessly.
I can't wait to go see it!