Hulu's ‘Dollface’ depicts female friendship at its most disparagingly basic
The following is a spoiler-free review of Hulu's Dollface.
Dollface makes a good point.
When falling in romantic love, it is easy to neglect the platonic friendships that ground us. One forgotten text turns into a dozen canceled plans and soon the person that was your whole world rarely gets to see you. That’s where Hulu’s plucky comedy picks up, as Jules (Kat Dennings) is faced with a sudden breakup and discovers her former besties have left her behind.
In the next ten episodes, Jules works to regain the companionship of Madison (Brenda Song) and Stella (Shay Mitchell), as well as bring her coworker, Izzy (Esther Povitsky), into their group. It’s a nice sentiment — in that clichéd “chicks before dicks” kind of way — that could have made for a pleasant precursor to the returns of Hulu originals Shrill and Pen15.
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If only Dollface hadn’t made female friendship look so exhausting.
The group of women surrounding Jules’ story don’t rise to Girls-levels of self-absorption, and there’s certainly no Pretty Little Liars-style backstabbing. But episode after episode, you can’t shake the feeling that these talented, smart women are only friends because finding other adult women to be friends with is too difficult.
Madison lords her type-A personality over the group like a well-manicured fascist. Stella waffles between being carefree and insecure so often it’s difficult to sort out whether she’s one character or two. And Izzy, while wildly entertaining, is more of a caricature of a woman than an actual woman. (Think Jared from Silicon Valley, but working in ad sales for a beauty brand.)
It’s a reductive look at the complexity of female friendships that’s not unwatchable, but struggles to be compelling.
Amidst the chaos, Jules assumes the role of generic woman. She’s got a cat, she likes leggings, she’s not sure she’s ready to get back out there again, etc.
It’s not that any one of these representations is all that objectionable; they’re just not interesting, and the conflicts that arise between the women are basic. From brunch to cocktails to angry texts and back again, the leading ladies of Dollface spend the majority of their time on screen fighting and making up. It’s a reductive look at the complexity of female friendships that’s not unwatchable, but struggles to be compelling.
Funnily enough, Dollface’s cheeky episode titles mirror this problem. You’ve got “Bridesmaid,” “Feminist,” “Guy’s Girl,” “Beauty Queen,” “F*** Buddy,” and more. Rather than breaking down these stereotypes or challenging its characters to subvert them, Dollface seems content to acknowledge that women are often unfairly labeled — and then go about unfairly labeling women.
It’s an issue heightened by the privilege of Dollface’s players, all wealthy, educated, beautiful women living in Los Angeles. We’ve been there, we’ve done that, and in a world where shows like Fleabag, Broad City, and Insecure exist, it’s hard to believe Hulu is trying it again.
The one thing that could set Dollface apart, its surreal imagination sequences where Jules’ inner monologue takes over, are similarly familiar. The fantasy scenes are essentially Crazy Ex-Girlfriend rip-offs (minus the jazzy numbers) that neither detract from nor add to the storyline.
It’s possible these interludes were intended to portray Jules’ rich inner life and make up for her otherwise paper-thin characterization. Unfortunately, they come across more like Family Guy cutaways than rich insights, lacking the inventiveness and depth needed to be memorable.
With a stellar cast and some decently quippy writing, Dollface isn’t a complete wash.
Watching it wasn't a chore for me (although I struggled to not multitask while doing so), and I'm sure I'll flip it on again if/when a second season comes around. But for a show about female friendship, Dollface failed to make me care about these women or their relationships — and with so many other great female-driven shows to choose from, I'm happy looking for a new bestie elsewhere.
Dollface is now streaming on Hulu.
Topics Hulu
