Movie

Real Estate Lies & Dark Secrets in ‘The Curse’!

Published

5 months ago

October 18, 2024

filmfrontrow.com

season 1, episode 3, “Questa Lane”

A Real Estate Scheme in Motion

Usher and Whitney Siegel (Nathan Fielder and Emma Stone) plan to manipulate the La Española real estate market. Their strategy revolves around their upcoming show, The Reno Show: Passive Home.

They present themselves as community-focused, but their actions tell a different story. Buying auctioned properties to resell for profit in under a year is hardly selfless. Yet, they are more concerned about their test audience’s lukewarm reception than the ethics of their actions. This tension fuels The Curse’s biting social satire.

Usher and Whitney embody the flawed white savior trope. They fail to recognize their shortcomings, making them compelling but deeply flawed protagonists.

Real Estate A Costly Deal and an Unexpected Reunion

Asher finalizes another real estate deal, paying over $20,000 more than expected. Confident in their “foolproof” plan, he moves forward. However, he soon discovers an unexpected connection to his past.

Nallah (Hikma Warsameh), the young girl who cursed him earlier, lives in the property with her family. Her sister and father, Abusir (Barkhad Abdi), have been living there without paying rent. They had no idea their home had been auctioned after the owners failed to pay taxes.

A Tense Confrontation

Usher’s discovery unfolds in his usual awkward fashion. He drills into the door, startling the girls, then chases them down the street, attempting to hand them cash. This bizarre behavior alarms neighbors, who call the police.

As officers arrive, tensions rise. To ease his guilt, Usher offers the family free housing and potential renovations. Abusir, understandably skeptical, demands everything in writing. Could this be Usher’s way of breaking the curse? He seems to think so, especially after Nallah reveals her specific hex: she cursed him to lose his chicken dinner.

A Series of Unfortunate Events

Usher and Whitney’s lives are unraveling. A recent ectopic pregnancy led to an uncomfortable doctor’s visit, where Usher once again showed his lack of social awareness.

Meanwhile, their business ventures are falling apart. Barrier Coffee has replaced La Española, displacing employees like Fernando. Worse, when the cameras aren’t rolling, their “community efforts” disappear.

Whitney scrambles to save their reputation, offering Fernando a security job and apologizing profusely. But Fernando sees through it. “I thought it was just a facade,” he tells Whitney. His resignation is clear. Their so-called generosity was always self-serving. Whitney, however, struggles to accept that truth.