Roush Review: Maya Rudolph Is Priceless in ‘Loot’

Matt Roush June 22, 2022, 11:15 am

Loot

Matt's Rating:

Money couldn’t buy Molly Novak (Maya Rudolph) love — the divorce settlement from her cheating ex (Severance’s smug Adam Scott) is $87 billion — but can good works make her a better person?

That’s the rather obvious question posed by Apple’s new comedy Loot, an endearing but uneven series from the creators of Forever, the wonderful afterlife dramedy also starring Rudolph. She is, as always, priceless in her ability to balance sweetness and sour at the height of absurdity, as Molly emerges from her cocoon of ridiculous privilege to learn that dispensing luxury gift bags at a shelter opening (“Home is where my wine fridge is”) doesn’t result in good PR.

Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, Joel Kim Booster, Ron Funches and Nat Faxon in Loot

Apple TV+

Loot mixes workplace comedy (solid) with the occasional rom-com subplot (less so) as Molly and her fawningly disdainful-to-others assistant Nicholas (Fire Island‘s hilarious Joel Kim Booster) get to know and test the resolve of the devoted employees at the foundation she didn’t even know she had at her disposal. “I have an office?” she wonders, and the office wonders back whether she’s going to be the best or worst thing that even happened to them. (Nicholas’ reaction to their criticism: “What she doesn’t deserve is judgment from a bunch of people who look like they were born in a Sears clearance rack.”)

The terrific supporting cast includes Pose’s Michaela Jaé Rodriguez as the foundation’s skeptical executive director, who might speak for many viewers when she reacts to Molly’s oh-cry-for-me sob story with the retort, “I don’t really care about any of that.” Ron Funches brightens the mood as Molly’s delightfully upbeat cousin, who claims to work in IT, and Nat Faxon (The Conners) shines as the charmingly square divorced accountant who’s smitten with the newly visible boss, though he realizes, “Nobody ends up choosing the dependable guy.”