HBO’s CLOSE ENOUGH Promotes Chaotic and Unhealthy Behavior
By Trevor Jones, Movieguide® Contributor
Over its 30-year tenure, Cartoon Network Studios has produced groundbreaking content for its Adult Swim brand. The studio’s latest “stoner-esque” cartoon for the streaming wars, CLOSE ENOUGH, is a 2020 hand-drawn surrealist comedy that premiered on HBO Max.
The series follows a dysfunctional Los Angeles family and their challenges as they cope with their daily lives. Their mundane struggles usually spiral into ridiculous mayhem. J.G. Quintel, the mastermind behind the TV-PG classic REGULAR SHOW, created this TV-14 cartoon as well.
CLOSE ENOUGH excels at hyperbolic nonsense but stumbles over its moral footing. The show delivers tight comedy, great vocal performances and a dynamic cast. It also promotes familial bonding and making others happy. However, it dives into the pit of self-love, sex-humor and upstaging one’s exes. Moreover, it falls into the lazy trappings of other adult comedies. MOVIEGUIDE® issues strong caution to teenagers and adults.
CLOSE ENOUGH follows a family living in a Los Angeles apartment together. Josh (J.G. Quintel), an aspiring video game designer with a chill demeanor, leads this unit. His wife, Emily (Gabrielle Walsh), is a local singer with anxiety issues. Their daughter is Candace, a loudmouth six-year-old. Josh’s neighbors include Alex, an immature college professor, and Bridgette, an up-and-coming social media influencer.
In a normal 11-minute episode, Josh and his family get into a mundane predicament. They implement a quick solution, but the situation turns into absolute insanity. The family overcomes the cosmic horror, learns a lesson and returns to the status quo. This format mirrors REGULAR SHOW, but it focuses on married (and divorced) adults rather than anthropomorphic animals.
In terms of worldview, CLOSE ENOUGH is the devil’s minefield. The series prioritizes instant gratification, swearing and unrestrained adult humor. The characters utter expletives like “fricking,” “hell” and the “S” word. They also make numerous references to sexual intercourse and current pop culture. There is occasional nudity, but the show censors it in all circumstances. The show also includes scenes of peril and over-the-top violence. Alex and Bridgette, a divorced couple, are obsessed with sex humor.
To counterbalance this self-serving worldview, the show incorporates rudimentary moral lessons. Josh learns to overcome his ego and make his daughter proud. Alex drops his hyper-fixation on useless hobbies and sticks to his divorced wife. Emily learns to drop her toxic friend. These lessons are more of a last-minute edition rather than an integral part of the story. The only instance of a positive virtue occurs when Alex admits his true feelings to his rock-climber boyfriend. There are LGBT leanings, but they are minor occurrences.
The show is visually average in terms of production design. It uses hand-drawn animation with the occasional 3D element. Thin lines, simplistic facial features and flat colors make up the art style. CLOSE ENOUGH is passable but largely unimpressive aesthetically. It only excels in storyboarding. The show incorporates memorable locales of Southern California. Most scenes feature fast motion and dynamic angles.
The only time CLOSE ENOUGH achieves “Good Place” status is through its ludicrous set pieces. The family encounters haunted ghosts, aliens obsessed with fitness bikes and the literal devil at one point. The creators scatter cosmic curveballs into the show’s DNA. For a “turn-off-your-brain” type of series, the show incorporates a variety of spectacles.
In summary, CLOSE ENOUGH excels as an over-the-top comedy but fails the moral litmus test. Basic sex humor and a juvenile worldview fill the show, and the stellar voice cast and surreal curveballs are “close enough” for basic desires. But audiences searching for more substance should look elsewhere. MOVIEGUIDE® issues strong caution for teens and adults.
Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.
What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.
You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.
Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.
Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.
What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.
You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.
Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.
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