The format means seeing events unfolds from different angles, while picking up new bits of information along the way. But the inherent whodunit and evolving trail of breadcrumbs don’t really prove that enticing, with the best material coming from the old high-school crushes, grievances and missed opportunities that get rehashed.
Armed with a good cast that also includes Sam Richardson (“Veep”), Zoë Chao, Ben Schwartz, Ike Barinholtz, Ilana Glazer and Jamie Demetriou, Miller does engage in some amusing flights into the absurd as the different characters — and their sometimes-wild imaginations — take center stage. The more outlandish flourishes range from a fight scene that seemingly goes on for about five minutes to an animated sequence.
So while Apple is promoting the show as “genre-defying,” it’s really more “genre-embracing.” Haddish also seems to be working a little too hard at wringing humor from what could easily be a straight-arrow part, which frankly proves a bit of a distraction from the focus on the victim, his peers and getting to the truth of who murdered him.
Even with its flaws “The Afterparty” goes down easily enough, but as potential binges go, it’s hardly a VIP ticket — less the stuff of appointment viewing than simply, well, an afterthought.
“The Afterparty” premieres Jan. 28 on Apple TV+. (Disclosure: My wife now works for a division of Apple.)
