Hal & Harper

Cooper Raiff is one of the most talented young creatives we have working. He writes, directs and stars in all his projects and you can tell. For being such a young filmmaker it is incredible that his style shines through so much. I am three episodes into this show and I can already tell that he has struck gold once again. Following his feature debut in Sh*thouse and his sophomore outing in Cha Cha Real Smooth, Cooper Raiff is back with another deeply human project. Hal & Harper is about two siblings learning to grow up, but their journey is stalled by the weight of trauma, grief, and guilt. One of the more brilliant choices that Raiff makes is that he and Lillie Reinhart play their younger selves in flashbacks. Which makes sense due to what is trying to be communicated through the shows themes. Cooper Raiff is brilliant behind the camera, and he is giving maybe his best performance? But Reinhart and Ruffalo hold their own as well. Both delivering beautiful and powerful performances. This show so far is so brilliantly written. It is emotional. It is very funny in a normal and also anxious way. It is contemplative, tender and deeply human. I cannot wait for the rest of it.