Rejoice, my friends, because Quibi has arrived.
As you know by now, Quibi is all about “quick bites”, that is short form entertainment. Their shows (or “Movies In Chapters” as they like to call them) are all about 7-8 minutes per episode (Sorry, chapter. I meant chapter). So you are meant to watch Quibi content on your phone (and only on your phone) while you wait for the train or for your food to cook or during any of the various down times you have during the day.
It’s a smart concept, especially in the day and age of podcasts, YouTube and short attention spans. But can Quibi really tell worthwhile stories in such a way? Can you become invested in something that feels so slight and seemingly abridged?
After an afternoon with Quibi I can report that, yeah, you can become invested in Quibi content. The streaming service has launched with about 75 shows and a good deal of them are actually quite impressive. Maybe they’re not amazing, maybe they don’t hit the same highs as some other streaming shows but Quibi has a surprisingly robust slate of originals to keep you busy as you kill time during your quarantined days.
Before we launch into what works and what doesn’t, let’s talk about one of Quibi’s most talked-about features. Quibi can switch seamlessly from portrait to landscape mode without missing a beat. So you’ll be watching a show in landscape mode (LIKE A NORMAL HUMAN BEING) and then you can turn your phone and — boom — you’re in portrait mode and the story continues. The perspective will shift a little bit, the shot may zoom in and portions of the frame will be obscured. But the feature works surprisingly well. However, I have to wonder how directors feel about this because switching from landscape to portrait really does alter the shot substantially. A lot of the frame is cut out and it takes away a certain cinematic quality. I don’t know about you but I would be pretty peeved if I was a filmmaker and my art was being so altered just so people had the option to turn their phones during viewing.
Okay, onto the shows.
FLIPPED
One of Quibi’s most-promoted shows, Flipped stars Will Forte and Kaitlin Olson as an egotistical, down-on-their-luck married couple who start a home renovation show but make all the wrong choices and connections and end up renovating a drug cartel mansion.
Forte and Olson are basically playing the same roles they always do but this time things are bit louder and bit more frantic. You see, Quibi shows have a lot to pack in with only a few minutes to do so, so a lot of the shows feel compressed and break-neck fast. Pacing is kinda iffy on a lot of the shows, including Flipped. That leads to a lot of jokes that are thrown out fast and loose, though some of them don’t always land. To be fair, Flipped is still fun. Like all of the Quibi shows, this series launched with three episodes ready to view and they each got progressively funnier and the pace evened out a bit.
50 STATES OF FRIGHT
Now here’s a show I could see myself really getting into. From Sam Raimi comes 50 States Of Fright, which tells scary stories and urban legends from all of the states in the US. The premiere story is called The Golden Arm and comes from Michigan. Directed by Raimi, the story is gory and fun just like you would expect. It does feel a bit low-budget and cheap compared to other Raimi movies but that’s not surprising. What counts here is that I had the urge to dive into another episode right when the first one ended and that is key to Quibi’s success. They need viewers eager for the next hit and I definitely felt that with 50 States Of Fright. I can only hope the show will keep bringing in star talent who understand the premise and bring the right amount of gore and horror.
NIKKI FRE$H
Nikki Fre$h starring Nicole Richie is proof that even Quibi is capable of making bad content right out the gate. Fre$h is about Richie setting forth on a new career of being an eco-friendly trap music star…I think? The premise is kinda murky and definitely not very amusing. It feels like a rip-off of Curb Your Enthusiasm and also feels severely under-cooked. There are a few moments in Nikki Fre$h that were downright cringe-worthy and best left on the cutting room floor. Even cameos from Bill Nye and Nicole’s father, Lionel, can’t save Nikki Fre$h. Pass. Hard pass.
PUNK’D
I was never a huge fan of Punk’d during its original run on MTV, mostly because I can’t stand Ashton Kutcher. But the show has relaunched with Chance The Rapper hosting and, you know what, it’s pretty funny. The first episode finds Megan Thee Stallion begins tormented by a runaway (fake) gorilla. I won’t deny that I chuckled more than I expected. The great thing about the new Punk’d is that because of its short run time there is no space for filler, you get straight to the meat of the prank. And Chance makes for a charming and fun-loving host too, much more likable than the dreaded Kutcher. So this one is a surprise win for me. Appointment TV? Absolutely not, but it is definitely something I could kill some time with.
WHEN THE STREETLIGHTS GO ON
Of all the shows on Quibi, When The Streetlights Go On stands the best chance to be a breakout hit. The series takes place in a quiet Illinois town during the summer of 1995. Things become Twin Peaks-esque when a gruesome murder rocks the community, including the local high school. The pacing on Streetlights is fantastic. So good, in fact, that I caught myself checking the runtime on multiple occasions because the episodes did not feel short. They felt like full-length episodes for a regular, hour-long show. That’s the power of When The Streetlights Go On, it can suck you in quickly and make you feel invested in a heartbeat and you completely forget the format. It is also beautifully shot and expertly written. This is one of the Quibi shows that I think I may skip for a few days so the back catalogue builds up a bit. 7-8 minutes with this show is just not enough. Very impressive. Of all the shows on Quibi, this is the one that truly feels like an actual movie cut into chapters.
SINGLED OUT
Here’s one that just never made sense. I don’t know how Quibi expected to translate a half-hour game show into a 6 minute quick bite but it just doesn’t work. You remember Singled Out, the MTV dating game show host by Chris Hardwick and Jenny McCarthy. It was a fun — and crude — 90s late night standout. But the Quibi version is ultimately way too loud and rushed. Everything is thrown at the viewers in such quick succession that it almost feels like an assault. I can’t imagine anyone wanting to invest a lot of time in the new Singled Out, there is just nothing appealing about it.
VARIOUS NEWS PROGRAMS
One of the things I was most excited for with Quibi was their selection of news programs. I am a news junkie and the idea of daily news updates from Quibi sounded great. It is great but it feels a bit unnecessary currently. In a world of push notification and 24-hour networks, the Quibi news shows don’t really offer anything you haven’t already heard. Now, these programs would prove more valuable if checking in on Quibi was the first thing you did every morning before you really checked your phone or CNN. As it stands now, the Quibi news series are basically telling you things you’ve already heard multiple times. Quibi has more news planned including a series from 60 Minutes and I hope they find an innovative and unique angle on telling news in a bite-sized format — short form documentaries or interviews with public figures come to mind. This will be an essential part of Quibi but, right now, it feels a bit plain and redundant.
MOST DANGEROUS GAME
The concept behind Most Dangerous Game (terminal cancer patient decides to be hunted for sport to make money for his family) feels so obvious and generic that you’d think there is no way this show could work. But it kind of does. The Quibi format works to Game’s advantage because I doubt I would try an hour-long series with the same premise but I am willing to throw 7-8 minutes at this show because, hey, I can spare that amount of time.
The show stars Liam Hemsworth and Christoph Waltz and has enough action, mood and story to keep you coming back for at least a few episodes. The series starts to heat up within the first three chapters but I can only imagine it will get red-hot as things go on. Yes, it’s a dumb, board, easy concept but you’ve spent more time on dumber things, haven’t you?
RUN THIS CITY
Okay, this show is most decidedly “my shit.” It’s a docuseries about Jasiel Correia, the youngest mayor in Massachusetts history, and how he got caught up in extortion and wire fraud charges that threatened his impressive political career. The show is just fantastic and directed with the sort of finesse and skill you’d expect from an HBO or Netflix series. And, just as Quibi intended, the show is ridiculously addictive. Once one episode ends, you’re ready to fire up another. I tore through the first episodes and I can definitely see myself tuning in daily for the next chapter. Run This City shows the promise and possibility of Quibi. Short running times be damned, this service is capable of something special.
There’s a lot more on Quibi, from game shows to music shows to comedies and dramas. The app is definitely worth a download, especially since you can try the service for free for a whole 90 days. Now, when that limited free trial is over will Quibi still be worth your time and money? That remains to be seen. I like a lot of what I saw on Quibi but I don’t know if I will be shilling out 8 bucks a month for it (that’s the price of the service without ads). Quibi has promised that this is just the tip of the iceberg, they have a lot more goodies on the way. I hope so because the service has started with a lot of promise but it needs to build upon it because there are too few programs that are currently must-see. For the time being Quibi has enough fun quick bites that you can piece together to create a whole, satisfying meal.