Overcompensating, Benito Skinner’s Prime Video comedy, is hilarious, heartfelt, and oddly wholesome in a roundabout way. Based on Skinner’s own experiences as a closeted gay man coming out in college, Overcompensating explores the lies each of us tells ourselves and, in turn, the lies we’re forced to tell to others.
Yes, Overcompensating is largely a gay coming-of-age story, but it also takes a broader view of people as a whole and how we’re all playing a role and pretending to a certain degree. Each and every character in Overcompensating is either hiding something, pretending to be somebody they’re not, or both.
The star is, of course, Skinner as Benny, who created, wrote and executive produced. But the supporting cast is wonderful, and they all elevate the material, making Overcompensating resonate and emotionally impactful.
Overcompensating Review
The series begins with Benny heading off to college and saying goodbye to his mum (Connie Britton) and dad (Kyle MacLachlan), who couldn’t be prouder of their football-playing, homecoming king. Benny is their second child, but first in terms of preference. Tension arises right away when Benny’s older sister, Grace (Mary Beth Barone), who already goes to the same college, is annoyed by his presence. Away from home and free from Benny’s shadow, Grace was able to forge a new identity for herself and be more than “Benny’s sister”, and his arrival threatens to undo all of that.
Grace’s boyfriend, Peter (Adam DiMarco), a senior, wants to take Benny under his wing and advises him to get laid right away or risk being a loser and an outcast. Not yet ready to come out and not even sure if he’s straight or gay, Benny, who’s used to being the most popular guy in school, makes it his goal to get some, prove to himself he’s straight and make sure he’s known as a stud, not a dud.
A meet-cute between Benny and Carmen (Wally Baram) sets Overcompensating on its way as the two leads navigate their new lives. They’re not just away from home, they’re juggling school, romance, friends and reinventing themselves. It’s a lot, and Overcompensating is tremendously good at setting that tone throughout and making the audience feel what the characters do.
Initially, the overriding feeling when watching, beyond laughter, is uncomfortableness, cringe and second-hand embarrassment. Benny and Carmen, especially, are awkward and trying so hard to be who they think they should be, that there’s this constant tension running through every scene. What makes it work so well is the relief felt whenever there’s a big laugh, and there are lots of them.
One early example is at Freshman Orientation when the attendees are going around and introducing themselves. One guy announces that he is Amanda Knox’s cousin and starts in on a tirade about the unfairness of her sentencing and what she went through. He, in that moment, encapsulates the entire thesis of the series, which is that we’re all trying to be noticed and trying to leave our mark, but sometimes we can be so eager to do so that we forget to just be ourselves. And so, we… ‘overcompensate’, leaving us feeling anxious, stressed and ultimately unfulfilled.
A lot of Overcompensating’s dramatic tension also comes from the pressure people feel, both self-imposed and from outside sources, to do and say the ‘right’ things. To make good choices and to be, for all intents and purposes, perfect. Which, we all know, is impossible, but we make it a goal anyway, leading to disappointment, more often than not.
It’s difficult to talk much about what happens in Overcompensating without spoilers, but suffice it to say it’s a thoroughly enjoyable journey. Skinner, as Benny, delivers a flawless performance, which is to be expected given that he’s essentially playing himself. There’s so much nuance and depth to his characterisation that it’s impossible not to love him, even though he’s not an altogether “good guy”. He’s flawed, and he makes mistakes he doesn’t learn from. He lies and hurts people close to him, but not out of malice. He does it out of self-preservation because he’s terrified he won’t be loved and won’t be accepted if his truth were known.
Many scenes in Overcompensating are heartbreaking, but watching Benny break down because of his fears might just top the list. And Skinner captures it all. From the way he speaks to the slightest facial expression or line reading, Benny is a revelation. He’s not a gay character; he’s a fully realised character who just so happens to be gay.
Of Overcompensating’s supporting cast, special mention must be made of DiMarco as Peter and Holmes as Hailee. Both characters could so easily have been caricatures and gone over the top, but both DiMarco and Holmes walk a delicate tightrope and manage to make Hailee and Pete sympathetic and interesting. Besides Benny, Peter has the most powerful and painful arc of the season and is certainly a tragic figure in this world. It’s not all doom and gloom, though, because Holmes as Hailee is a revelation. Every time she’s on screen and every time she opens her mouth, be prepared to laugh so hard you almost pee.
Overcompensating is a brilliant piece of comedy and a wonderful examination of being human. It doesn’t shy away from tough subjects, and everything is fair game. It explores gender roles and dynamics, sexuality, toxic masculinity, mental health, and so much more and does it in a way that makes it relatable and fun and funny…and sometimes so sad you think you might never stop crying.
Overcompensating is a triumph, and I, for one, am hoping that Prime Video picks it up for a second season. Especially given the cliffhanger the season finale ends on…I mean, how dare they?
Condragulations, Benito Skinner, you’re a winner, baby.
All eight episodes of Overcompensating were provided by Prime Video.
