Prime Video has been receiving all the eye as a result of it launched a brand new hit comedy sequence, Overcompensating, which is excitingly refreshing (not simply because there may be plenty of feminine and male nudity happening, however as a result of it’s that good). The principle character within the raunchy comedy, Benny Scanlon (Benito Skinner), is the faculty dream boy, as some would say. He’s a proficient soccer participant, the homecoming king, and, after all, valedictorian. The whole lot is on the market for the opposite college students to see. The one a part of him that is not on the market? The truth that Benny is homosexual. To cover his sexuality, Benny tries his greatest to type sexual connections with women, longing to obtain acceptance from the straight guys.
Benito Skinner’s Amazon present, which is impressed by his experiences and the explanation why he performs the function of Benny, explores American faculty hell and divulges Benny’s tumultuous journey from being a closeted golden boy jock to possibly in the future discovering confidence in his sexual identification. Though the teenager comedy begins with exploring poisonous masculinity in nice element, Overcompensating develops right into a heart-warming, new coming-out comedy. The LGBTQ+ sequence has gained important buzz and is quickly turning right into a sizzling contender to grow to be a future cult basic, however one selection nearly ruined Prime Video’s Overcompensating.
Overcompensating
- Launch Date
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Might 15, 2025
- Community
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Prime Video
- Writers
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Scott King, Mitra Jouhari
Prime Video’s Hit Sequence ‘Overcompensating’ Is a New Fan-Favourite
If there may be one factor that’s removed from new, then it’s the fixed strain to adapt to the standard expectations of masculinity. Overcompensating highlights precisely that, as Benny is caught in a cycle of proving he belongs with the straight guys and subsequent self-loathing. He does not simply wish to belong, he desires to be seen, admired, even. Whether or not it’s the typical dialog sprouting from poisonous masculinity or the cringey bro handshakes and horrible hook-ups, Benny tries his greatest to adapt and mix in (or stand out, extra so).
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Though it’d sound prefer it, Benny isn’t a foul man in any respect. He’s merely a prisoner along with his restrictive mindset and the skin strain of becoming in. Homophobia and misogyny are uncovered on this raunchy comedy sequence with a 95% Rotten Tomatoes rating, nevertheless it affords a brand new, comforting readability of what it’s wish to drown within the desperation to remain within the closet. The sequence additionally highlights the great thing about having an ally, although, and Carmen turns into precisely that to Benny. She accepts him and helps him wherever she will be able to. This precise degree of deep emotional connections elevates the sequence, which explains why Overcompensating might grow to be a future cult basic.
The Solid’s Age Nearly Ruined ‘Overcompensating’
Overcompensating is clearly set in faculty and focuses on 18-year-old Benny’s battle with sexuality and lots of different faculty ups and downs. Due to this, the expectation could be to characteristic a solid who’re of their early 20s (at most) to make sure that the viewers can simply join with the characters and, much more importantly, join the characters to the conditions which might be unfolding. Sadly, although, the solid of Prime Video’s LGBTQ+ sequence is pretty distant from their teenage years. The viral TikTok star Benito Skinner is over 30 years outdated, and so is Mary Beth Barone, who performs his on-screen sister, Grace. Adam DiMarco, the actor behind the cliché frat boy Peter, can also be nicely above 30, and even Rish Shah, who’s the actor entering into the function of Benny’s crush, Miles, is already in his late 20s. The one closest to being a youngster is Benny’s greatest pal, Carmen, who’s portrayed by 22-year-old Wally Baram.
It wants a while to get used to connecting the older solid to a teenage setting, however the Overcompensating solid has nonetheless finished an unimaginable job. The group effortlessly delivers electrical performances which might be splendidly unhinged. There appears to be a purpose behind the selection to solid older actors as an alternative of precise youngsters. Benito Skinner is the thoughts behind, arguably, the perfect comedy drama sequence on Prime Video, and he additionally effortlessly steps into the function of the primary character.
As already talked about, this determination was primarily based on the truth that the actor, comic, and sequence creator is sharing his private experiences of grappling along with his sexuality within the sequence. Seeing that his life at school was removed from straightforward, stepping again into the identical ambiance and experiencing numerous incidents and eventualities as soon as once more would possibly serve the aim of liberating him from the potential ache he nonetheless carried.
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Benny is without doubt one of the greatest homosexual characters in TV historical past, and the bulk actually stems from the truth that he’s portrayed by Benito Skinner himself. Benny oozes realness in probably the most thrilling method, permitting viewers to seek out some type of connection to him inside an on the spot. Moreover, the themes of identification, queerness, self-worth, and self-acceptance require consideration to element and ought to be handled in a cautious method, which is perhaps simpler to do when a solid of comparable ages works collectively as an alternative of including precise youngsters to the combination. This is not to say that teen actors do not have the abilities to painting delicate topics, fairly quite the opposite, however when portraying an actor’s private, typically tough, experiences, offering a solid that may work collectively nicely and understands one another is important. Overcompensating is accessible to stream on Prime Video.