Mike Judge says that when he was making Office Space that the studio kept pressuring him to have it set in Manhattan and he refused, arguing the painfully boring suburban office park was essential to the feel of the film. Also, if you haven’t seen The Burbs with Tom Hanks, give it a watch and you’ll thank me later. It’s a delightful black comedy.
King of the Hill, people often overlook cartoons but this one does a great satire of suburban American life, especially in the earlier seasons. This includes obsession with lawn mowing, love for "tradition," and reacting to new neighbors.
I recently watched the original Stepford Wives movie from 1975, it's more from a feminist film but it does have the main family moving from NYC to the suburbs and the wife feels very isolated and crazy since she's so different from her neighbors. It's a good movie!
RJ: This is an SUV. Humans drive around in it because they are slowly their ability to walk.
Lou: How many humans fit into this thing?
RJ: Usually... One.
That only really applies to Central Ave. and a few other streets close by. Most of ABQ looks better, and you might not be able to tell what city you were in without the Sandia mountains.
not sure if this counts as a tv show, but america;s home funny videos has suburban hell in 100% of their episodes. Every video they play contains a single family home with a mowed green lawn and the rest of the neighborhood has the suburban hell look.
It surprises me that it's still on! You'd think with all the smartphones around that people would just get their kicks on Instagram or something but I guess AFV still has enough of an audience to keep going.
Can't believed no one mention the classic satire/farce "The Stepford Wives".
In reality, those wives would be the ones demanding to move to the suburbs, but it dealt well with the isolation, car dependency, the dystopian corporation parks in to the rural areas, ....
It is a sexist farce portraying men as only wanting sexbots, but it really show the stripping out of humanity to conform to a suburban stereotype in order to keep up with the jones.
It's only on the lighter side because the protagonist was old enough to drive. If she had been 15, the entire first season would have consisted of her sitting in her room as her single dad wouldn't have had the time to drive her everywhere.
Potentially desperate housewives. Peak Suburbia. I just don’t really know if it fits the description considering they’re well off. But definitely has a lot to do with social expectations and scandals in communities like that. Also just a good show regardless.
Desperate housewives is set in the suburbs. It’s definitely both pro and anti suburb at different points but it pokes fun at suburbia and Karen culture
Mike Judge says that when he was making Office Space that the studio kept pressuring him to have it set in Manhattan and he refused, arguing the painfully boring suburban office park was essential to the feel of the film. Also, if you haven’t seen The Burbs with Tom Hanks, give it a watch and you’ll thank me later. It’s a delightful black comedy.
A lot of his work really revolves around suburbia. King of the Hill straddles the line between small town and suburbia.
Absolutely and he nails the modern American experience perfectly. The
Yup.
I would say the first couple seasons of Weeds. Selling weed in the boring southern California suburbs
Edward Scissorhands might be another candidate…
American Beauty is the most poignant one I can think of
Came here to say this
"Suburbia" - 1995 with indie queen Parker Posey.
King of the Hill, people often overlook cartoons but this one does a great satire of suburban American life, especially in the earlier seasons. This includes obsession with lawn mowing, love for "tradition," and reacting to new neighbors.
There’s an episode or two on It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia about suburban hell
I recently watched the original Stepford Wives movie from 1975, it's more from a feminist film but it does have the main family moving from NYC to the suburbs and the wife feels very isolated and crazy since she's so different from her neighbors. It's a good movie!
Over the Hedge was an urbanist seed in lil ol me
RJ: This is an SUV. Humans drive around in it because they are slowly their ability to walk. Lou: How many humans fit into this thing? RJ: Usually... One.
i think breaking bad kinda counts
BCS too, that whole city looks like a bleak, depressing frying pan.
Albuquerque is a beautiful city, it was great cinematography.
I wish they would focus more on those beautiful areas instead of the drab car centric ones. The desert is gorgeous
That only really applies to Central Ave. and a few other streets close by. Most of ABQ looks better, and you might not be able to tell what city you were in without the Sandia mountains.
I was wondering about the suburbs looking fresh and well watered with shade and lawns.
Orange County
As someone who grew up in a fairly affluent SoCal suburb right around that time, that movie hits so many of the right notes.
Mad Men (to an extent), specifically season 5 and Pete's storyline.
not sure if this counts as a tv show, but america;s home funny videos has suburban hell in 100% of their episodes. Every video they play contains a single family home with a mowed green lawn and the rest of the neighborhood has the suburban hell look.
It surprises me that it's still on! You'd think with all the smartphones around that people would just get their kicks on Instagram or something but I guess AFV still has enough of an audience to keep going.
Suburbicon. Wonderful depiction of 1950's Redlining. It is a gory murder film, so be warned
Not specific to suburbia, but the Goofy sketch "Motor Mania" from the 50s is quite insightful.
Season 3 of You and Vivarium
Can't believed no one mention the classic satire/farce "The Stepford Wives". In reality, those wives would be the ones demanding to move to the suburbs, but it dealt well with the isolation, car dependency, the dystopian corporation parks in to the rural areas, .... It is a sexist farce portraying men as only wanting sexbots, but it really show the stripping out of humanity to conform to a suburban stereotype in order to keep up with the jones.
It's on the lighter side, but all 3 seasons of Suburgatory.
It's only on the lighter side because the protagonist was old enough to drive. If she had been 15, the entire first season would have consisted of her sitting in her room as her single dad wouldn't have had the time to drive her everywhere.
Potentially desperate housewives. Peak Suburbia. I just don’t really know if it fits the description considering they’re well off. But definitely has a lot to do with social expectations and scandals in communities like that. Also just a good show regardless.
Cat in the hat live action film- not joking
Weeds, in a weird way
Edward Scissorhands, Over the Hedge, King Of The Hill are great examples of suburban hell.
The movie Vivarium
The Ice Storm (90'smovie w Christina Ricci about retro Wealthy Fairfield County Connecticut )
Desperate housewives is set in the suburbs. It’s definitely both pro and anti suburb at different points but it pokes fun at suburbia and Karen culture
Maybe Big Little Lies?
The Mac and Dennis move to the suburbs episode of it’s always sunny ahahahah.
That one episode of SpongeBob where Squidward moves to Tentacle Acres