Lena Dunham’s ‘Too Much’ Gets Strong Laughs Out of Changing Continents To Escape Heartbreak

Alci Rengifo

Lena Dunham’s “Too Much” is almost tailored for American viewers who have been to the U.K. but endure friends whose sense of the world is based solely off TV shows and movies. Its fleeting charm resides in basing its premise on being the flip side of all those stories where despairing citizens of the U.S. go find romance and adventure in cliché depictions of Europe. First world problems make for enjoyable fodder when the casting is on point and the zany energy becomes infectious. Dunham’s latest has enough of these to keep the series entertaining. Had this been a drama, the characters would struggle to gain any sympathy.

Megan Stalter, a TikTok comedian, is perfectly cast as Jess, a New Yorker who once dreamed of being a director but now mostly does assistant work on sets. Her relationship with Zev (Michael Zegen) has imploded considering he’s now with an influencer named Polly (Emily Ratajkowski). Dangerous obsession follows with Jess recording private videos to Polly for later usage. Overwhelmed by heartbreak, she figures she should seek a new life in England. Too bad Jess’ perception of the country is based on Jane Austen and watching “Bridgerton.” She rents a flat at a “British estate” with dreams of meeting her own Mr. Darcy. What Jess finds is a dwelling that looks nothing like a British TV show and denizens who don’t speak in refined melodramatic language. Yet, soon Jess does meet someone in the form of Felix (Will Sharpe), a local indie singer struggling with addiction.

Dunham, who has yet to repeat the success of her mid-2010s HBO hit “Girls,” is doing what all good writers do, continuing to find inspiration in her actual experiences. The outline of “Too Much” is loosely based on her breakup with longtime partner (music producer Jack Antonoff), which inspired a move from New York to London. She did indeed meet another indie singer, Luis Felber, who is now Dunham’s husband and co-writer of this series. This surely accounts for the way the show flows like a series of offbeat memories. Dunham herself plays Jess’ older sister, a divorced depressive constantly FaceTiming her woes. Remember how good she was as the self-destructive lead in “Girls.” Where the material somewhat shadows “Girls” is in its understanding of the millennial mindset. Like many of her generation, Jess’ overly romanticizes view of relationships and life comes from consuming movies like “Notting Hill” and “Love Actually.” Real life then crushes such fantasies.

Jess’ idea of London is then reshaped by her relationship with Felix, which takes off almost as a form of sex-fueled therapy for two unsettled people. They start being intimate and then pause to quiz each other on what they like about themselves as partners. Stalter shines in these scenes because dark humor has to mix with empathy. These two have profound insecurities. They are surrounded by colorful portraits of dysfunction played with an expert cast. Richard E. Grant plays Jess’ new boss, whose wife is a coked out character played with gusto by Naomi Watts. Felix may be a bohemian with gorgeous ex-girlfriends prowling around, but it’s a mask for his own posh upbringing personified by a disgraced academic father (Stephen Fry). Such material could get too gritty and dark, but in Dunham’s hands the dialogue crackles with saucy jokes and irony. Cringe moments like Jess rambling too much at work have perfect comedic timing with witty little commentaries on cultural differences, as in how in England they say “the menopause.” Watts in these scenes is deliciously entertaining as a classic British snob.

With warts and all, we want Jess and Felix to succeed. Dunham’s best achievement in “Too Much” is demonstrating how life provides more than enough material. We don’t need to know exactly which moments are based on absolute fact, since most of it feels sincere enough. Dunham is not touting this as a full biographical rendering like “Baby Reindeer.” Besides, much of the material is already so universal. Breaking up is more torturous in a time where the temptation to cyber stalk an ex and their new partner is a constant presence. To fully get over someone, some people do need to literally run away. “Too Much” is fun and insightful by knowing that wherever you run, human drama will still be waiting for a needy heart.

“Too Much” begins streaming July 10 on Netflix.