The evolution of High Maintenance has been a slow and steady one. The format of the show has evolved since its beginnings in 2012 as a several-minutes-long web series released in small chunks at a time, to a four-season-long HBO series. At…
High Maintenance 4×08 Review: “Solo”
In this week’s penultimate season four episode, High Maintenance considers two different perspectives on being alone, or “Solo.” The first section, which acts as a tantalizing appetizer for the entire installment, features a person who has perhaps lost self-awareness through living alone.…
High Maintenance 4×07 Review: “Hand”
“Hand,” the latest entry in the uneven but interesting fourth season of High Maintenance is a slight, but entertaining episode. After a season full of ups and downs, and after the emotional beats of last week, “Hand” is a welcome return to…
High Maintenance 4×06 Review: “Adelante”
In “Adelante,” director Ben Sinclair references the 1990 Iranian film Close-Up and a memorable, lingering shot of a can rolling down the street. In the Abbas Kiarostami-directed movie, the moment acts like a pause for the viewer amidst an emotionally complicated experience.…
High Maintenance 4×05 Review: “Screen”
High Maintenance’s fourth season continues on its rollercoaster trajectory, with each fresh and original episode being followed by an installment that leans a bit too hard into its deepest Brooklyn setting and tendencies. “Screen,” like “Voir Dire” two weeks ago, is…
High Maintenance 4×04 Review: “Backflash”
In its fourth season, High Maintenance debuts perhaps its most conceptual episode yet. In just 23 minutes, we follow the decades-long life of a single lighter as it passes through different situations, designs, and individuals. In a way, this lighter is a…
High Maintenance 4×03 Review: “Voir Dire”
While High Maintenance can often mine treasure from the everyday meeting of strangers and old acquaintances, “Voir Dire” makes those interactions feel more random and pedestrian than usual. Additionally, while the naturalism of High Maintenance is one of its most refreshing features, some episodes…