Hulu’s ‘Interior Chinatown’ impresses viewers and critics with bold satire

Hulu’s new action-comedy series “Interior Chinatown” is receiving generally favorable reviews from critics and audiences alike. Based on Charles Yu’s award-winning novel, the show premiered on Tuesday and currently boasts an 82% critic and 94% audience approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, while maintaining a 67/100 score on Metacritic.

A critique on stereotypes: The show, helmed by Taika Waititi, follows Willis Wu (played by Jimmy O. Yang), a struggling actor stuck in the background of a fictional police procedural called “Black and White.” Yu, who also serves as showrunner, uses the series to critique the stereotypical roles often assigned to Asian actors in Hollywood. IndieWire observes that the series cleverly explores the question, “What if the people pushed into the periphery were aware of it, and how can they move organically into the main story?”
What critics are saying: General consensus on Rotten Tomatoes called it “freewheeling entertainment with plenty to say about Asian American stereotypes.” Highlighting the show’s “visceral and biting satire,” RogerEbert.com praised the series for its inventive approach to deliver its “sharp, stylish commentary on the lack of Asian representation in ’90s media.” Its creative shifts between the gritty world of crime drama parody “Black & White” and the personal life of protagonist Wu have drawn comparisons to Disney Plus show “WandaVision.” According to The Wrap, the series “manages to be entertaining as its own thing alongside its wider dissection of a deep-seated industry problem.” Meanwhile, IndieWire praised Yang’s performance, describing him as “captivating and likable from his very first frame.” While some critics point out occasional heavy-handed dialogue, many lauded the supporting cast, particularly Chloe Bennet, Ronny Chieng and Tzi Ma, whose roles bring depth and humor to the story.

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