Ben Stiller’s Dark Side Brought to Light in ‘Severance’

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Initially, viewers might have been taken aback when they started the first episode of “Severance” in 2022, seeing Ben Stiller as the director. Isn’t he the guy from movies like “There’s Something About Mary”, “Tropic Thunder”, and “Zoolander”? Indeed, it is the same Ben Stiller who made us laugh in those films. However, what they might not have known was that this man, famous for his roles in some of the funniest comedies from the ’90s and 2000s, also played a significant role in creating this more serious sci-fi series.

Viewers who weren’t familiar with Stiller’s previous directorial work may have found it oddly fitting that he took on the project of “Severance.” This is a term referring to a recent Apple TV+ series, which tells a story based on real events – two prisoners escaped the Clinton Correctional facility in Upstate New York in 2015. This marked Stiller’s debut as a director for a limited series and represented his most dramatic project thus far. Interestingly enough, it could be seen as a subtle rehearsal for “Severance,” since the two productions share some striking stylistic and thematic similarities.

Stiller’s Directing History

From the get-go, Stiller played a significant role in shaping the TV series “Severance.” In 2015, the script for the pilot episode, authored by Dan Erickson, landed on Stiller’s desk at his production company Red Hour Productions as a submission. Overseeing the project as executive producer and directing several episodes himself, with the rest handled by Aoife McArdle, Stiller was instrumental in seeing it through to completion. Although his work on Dannemora came later, it unintentionally impacted Severance’s final shape.

In his career, Ben Stiller had directed movies before, and “Escape at Dannemora” wasn’t his first time directing a limited series. His directorial debut was actually with the movie “Reality Bites” in 1994, which is more of a comedy-drama than a pure comedy. Although he became famous for broader comedic films throughout his career, even his latest directorial project, “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty,” had a melancholic tone compared to earlier works like “Zoolander” or “Tropic Thunder.” Therefore, while “Escape at Dannemora” may have appeared as a departure from Stiller’s previous work, it wasn’t entirely unexpected by those familiar with his career.

Split Identities in ‘Severance‘ and ‘Escape at Dannemora’

Initially, “Severance” and “Escape at Dannemora” might appear to be distinct productions, with the former being a witty critique of the workplace blended with sci-fi elements, and the latter a dramatized account based on real events from recent history. However, upon closer inspection, these series share some intriguing similarities. For instance, both explore the theme of personal and external lives, delving into how individual identities can be swallowed up by larger entities like corporations or prison systems.

At Lumon Industries, the “Innies” undergo a surgical procedure that deliberately separates their professional lives from their personal ones, fostering the growth of distinct personas at work and home. Similarly, the prisoners in the show ‘Escape at Dannemora’ are compelled to create unique identities within the confines of their incarceration for survival. Notably, Richard Matt (portrayed by Benicio del Toro) gains more respect and power within the prison system than he did on the outside, assuming the role of a trusted figure for smuggled goods and even sharing his artwork with guards. Upon escaping with David Sweat (Paul Dano), Matt appears disoriented, showing no immediate eagerness to reach freedom.

This kind of role transformation doesn’t only impact the prisoners; Joyce Mitchell (Patricia Arquette, who is unique among actors by joining Severance) experiences a sense of disappointment with her circumstances, managing the prison tailor shop in a small town where life seems to primarily revolve around the prison. This allows her to become entangled in the illusion of escaping with the prisoners and starting a fresh life as fugitives.

In both stories, the characters strive to free themselves from the artificial worlds they inhabit. Once they discover the truth about their external lives and the secrets concealed from them, they initiate a rebellion that shares similarities with Sweat and Matt’s escape from prison, serving as an attempt to merge the two separate aspects of their identities. Although they may have chosen the procedure, the characters are essentially prisoners of their outer selves, lacking lives beyond work and having their individuality taken away from them.

Stylistic Through-Lines in Stiller’s Work

In terms of some aspects, the style used in the series is quite alike too. Just like the dull corridors on the dismembered level at Lumon aren’t much different from the endless gray passages of the Clinton Correctional Facility, both are filmed with a similar feeling of confusion. In Episode 5 of Dannemora, there’s a scene where Sweat moves through the prison’s vast lower level, and the camera follows him in a dizzying manner, turning corners and traveling down long hallways. Sometimes it races ahead and then waits for him to catch up, mirroring the intentionally disorienting tracking shots that followed Mark (Adam Scott) as he tried to find his way through the labyrinthine dismembered floor in the series.

As a film enthusiast, I’ve often pondered if the similarities between Tropic Thunder’s spoof of self-absorbed actors in real peril and Zoolander’s critique of the modeling world were intentional or merely the result of a lifelong fascination with fabricated personas. During an interview with Metacritic, Stiller admitted that he hadn’t recognized the parallels between the two series until deep into the production of Severance. However, it wasn’t until the connection struck him that he brought a rich thematic and stylistic depth to Escape at Dannemora, which ultimately translated into the success of Severance upon its release on streaming platforms.

Stream Escape at Dannemora on Netflix and Severance on Apple TV+.

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2025-01-19 04:31