where to watch: Seasons 1-3 on HBO
when to watch: When you’re looking for an engaging comedy with highly developed characters
you should note: Really diverse and tons of women behind and in front of the camera—see below!
tl;dr: Insecure is a worthwhile comedy series that follows the lives of two 20-something black women living in LA.
Created by and starring Issa Rae, Insecure has a pretty straightforward premise: it’s a half-hour comedy that follows two women living in LA as they navigate the trials and tribulations of adulthood, from dating to their jobs.
But there are a number of things that make the show unique. First, it features a primarily black cast with a diverse group of writers. Second, it’s on HBO—it looks and feels like a show from a premium network, and not just because anything goes—the visuals are positively cinematic. Which brings me to the third reason Insecure is such a special show—it has a female director of photography (DP).
hollywood has a long way to go
It’s no secret that the entertainment industry has a lack of diversity. The industry is still dominated by white men. Luckily, it’s changing and every year we see more types of people represented on screen.
Unfortunately, things are changing much slower behind the camera. I have strived to highlight shows that feature female directors and writers, but even as I recommended all these shows, I noticed that there was one area that severely lacked women: female directors of photography were extremely rare, even on shows primarily run by women.
This should come as no surprise. Last year, only 3% of the highest grossing films had any female cinematographers, and only 4% of TV shows did. In fact, only one woman has ever been nominated for an Academy Award for Cinematography.
Which is why I am so excited to recommend Insecure. It’s the first show on this site that has a female DP.
The director of photography is particularly worth talking about in the context of Insecure, because lighting in film and television has a somewhat racist history. Historically, movies have been lit to make white faces look good, and filmmakers paid little attention to making any other skin types actually look good on screen.
Insecure’s Ava Berkofsky, who has been the DP since season 2, has made waves for showing over and over again that with the proper emphasis, black faces can be beautifully lit even in dim club scenes.
because it’s good.
But I’m not recommending you watch Insecure because it has a female DP. I’m recommending it because it’s good.
Like I said before, it’s not that the premise is particularly novel; it’s not. But the execution is. Insecure succeeds because it’s funny and ridiculous and also incredibly authentic. It’s a comedy but it’s not a sitcom—it makes you laugh the way life makes you laugh. Sometimes things are just too absurd not to. The show does a good job of not taking itself too seriously while also getting serious when it needs to.
The world feels fully realized. And what I mean by that is, every character is fully developed and has depth. Issa struggles in a relationship that feels like it’s going nowhere and at a job where she’s the token black person. Though her friend Molly is a highly successful lawyer, she can’t catch a break when it comes to her dating life. They make mistakes, but they’re people that are easy to become invested in. And they aren’t the only ones. From Lawrence, Issa’s ex, to Kelli, her wacky friend, and everyone else, the characters are interesting. (Have you noticed a pattern yet with the kind of shows I like…?) I also love that it takes place in LA and shows parts of the city that aren’t Hollywood or Venice Beach.
Between the visuals, the wide array of developed characters, LA, the diverse cast and writers, and a female DP, Insecure is most definitely worth a watch!
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