Highston (2015– ) User Reviews

Quirky, fun and strangely moving.

[flutesandroots · 8/10 · 30 December 2015]

This is a wonderful and very off the wall concept which could be turned into something truly unique, if Amazon has the balls to run with it. It will definitely not be for everyone, but it will definitely attract a large cult. It has a solid and intriguing cast with a plethora of back stories waiting to be told. Many genuinely funny moments and a few rater touching ones as well. I hope it gets picked up. There are many, many far worse shows out there clogging up the airwaves. Flea and Shaq are not the greatest actors, but in a way that feeds into the whole premise of unreality upon which the show rests. Flea in particular is so hyperkinetic that one can't help but be swept along by his enthusiasm and joie de vivre. I can think of far worse ways to spend a half hour.

quirky fun

[donkeyrokman-12622 · 10/10 · 17 January 2016]

Whoever cast and directed this pilot is a genius. Every single one of the characters is spot on perfect for the part, and they each play their roles like they've been leading up to them their whole lives. Highly entertaining without hitting you over the head with stupid lines that are supposed to be funny. No canned laughter or slapstick crap. Just clever scenes and dialogue with likable characters that you'll wish you could binge watch. I really hope this gets picked up to series. It's so much better than most of what's out there now. The lead is a new actor I'm not familiar with...very likable. Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers is a kick in the pants. Shaq is, to be honest, a guy I don't usually care to watch. Most of his stuff is self aggrandizing and boring. But he obviously loves this role, and doesn't mind embarrassing himself to be the epitome of a big, lumbering lovable teddy bear. The other primary roles are played by comedy veterans whose faces will be familiar and whose acting is a treat to watch. Nothing is overdone, and the show never resorts to cheap stunts or vulgarities to get a laugh. Excellent!

I want and need this show in my life

[snqr96-66-853950 · 10/10 · 2 May 2016]

Within the first minute I fell in love with this show. The dialogue, the actors, the acting, flea and shaq. Everything is just so lovable about this show. The uncle's lines are perfect. One or two fell flat, but apart from that he was a riot (sorry). The writing is amazing. It feels like it was moulded around my own sense of humour. The mum and dad are quirky and naive. I especially love the mum, the actress been in shows such as Always Sunny in Philadelphia in the past.

It's rare to find a show that hits all the right notes, especially in its first episode/pilot. I was extremely disappointed when I found out there was only one episode, major case of blue balls. It's closing in on 6 months since the pilot, hopefully they'll pump out the first season within 2016.

I'm usually one for offensive/dark comedy; Always Sunny being one of my favourite shows, but this is such a refreshing show. I guess the theme is dark, but it has yet to be as serious as the darkest of comedies. It is rated 15, but so far there's nothing stopping the whole family watching the show. However, I feel that it's quite niche, which is probably why it hasn't been released yet. There's not really a big demand...

Anyway, this was my first ever review. Hopefully you found it interesting.

Great pilot episode- please more

[moovie-man · 10/10 · 5 December 2015]

If you have an Amazon prime account, you should really check this out as it is FREE and not that long. Great first episode- Some SNL former alum and Booger from "revenge of the nerds" in a quirky comedy where the main character sees imaginary friends that are also famous. The friends happen to be cast by the Red Hot Chili Peppers Flea and NBA Shaq. That someone would even consider putting the two in the same room and having dialog is hilarious to me. They both do a great job of being "believable" and complementary to the main character seeming to be crazy while everyone around him is not quite right. They also did a good job of creating a world that you are not sure what time frame it takes place in.

A missed opportunity

[mstywood · 10/10 · 19 March 2017]

This had everything going for it and yet was not picked up. There is so little good comedy to watch anymore that is intelligent and safe for most audiences. The world has gone crazy and we need more quality shows to make us smile and laugh. Amazon really messed up by not picking up this gem.

Poignant and Funny

[JoannaFolino · 10 February 2017]

Poignant, funny, well acted and the perfect salve for a world upside down in 2017. Has a lot of potential for commentary on celebrity culture and the American family. Since Donald Trump's election it seems this could be very topical and quite relevant to a society decaying because of the worship of authoritarianism. Maybe rework it a little but get it up and running, pushing the edges a little further. A great premise but only ONE episode? I'd watch a whole season of this. It's unique and has tremendous satirical potential. The Uncle is brilliant and laugh out loud funny. Which I did many times. Laugh out loud that is. Lewis Pullman is our Everyman. Dumbfounded in a world gone mad.

Too close to the bone

[mdoliner43 · 10/10 · 1 July 2023]

This pilot comes too close to revealing the true horror of the mental health establishment. That, in my opinion, was why t was not picked up. But its sharp, entertaining and full of potential for development. It's just a shame that we live in a world like this. Highston and his whole family are interesting characters, just too real for twenty-first century television. Just goes to show that more is going on in the media then simply looking for shows that could be successful. Cast was also perfect too. I wonder if they were planning to keep Sha2q and Flea as regulars or were going to have different celebrities on future shows. I guess we will never know..

Good for a one-time short film

[Horst_In_Translation · 6/10 · 23 November 2015]

"Highston" is a 27-minute short film that was released a couple weeks ago with the prospect of becoming the pilot episode for a series if enough people like it. It was directed by the director team from "Little Miss Sunshine" and the guy who wrote it also came up with the excellent movie Nebraska. So we sure have quite some achievements here. The cast is sub-par famous too. The actor who play the title character is unknown, but there's actors from "Boston Legal" and "Suburgatory" in here and that's just the ones I recognized. And of course, there's NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal and Red Hot Chili Peppers band member Flea in here. And these 2 do not only have one-scene cameos. They appear from start to finish in many scenes as the main character sees them in his imagination. And of course, they need to return if this gets really picked up for a series. All in all, it took a bit to get me interested, but I started to like this movie after roughly 10 minutes in. Funny little watch. I am not entirely convinced this could work as a series, but it certainly is among the better choices. Thumbs up.