Apple TV+’s ‘The Afterparty’ Review: Sam Richardson and Ben Schwartz Are Early Favorites For Funniest Comedy Duo of 2022

Expectations have a way of indirectly affecting your streaming experience. I was beyond excited when I first heard about Apple TV+’s upcoming comedy The Afterparty. Created by Christopher Miller, the eight-episode Rashomon-style whodunit centers on a murder mystery at a high school reunion. Each uniquely stylized episode features a retelling of the same night told through a different character’s perspective, with the various genres matching the storyteller’s distinct personalities. The series, which premieres January 28, not only boasts an ambitious premise, but it also assembles one of the funniest comedy ensembles in recent memory.

If you’re a fan of TV comedies, the cast of The Afterparty is a who’s who of your favorite performers. Headlined by Tiffany Haddish portraying Detective Danner, the talented ensemble includes Zoë Chao, Dave Franco, Ilana Glazer, Ike Barinholtz, and Jamie Demetriou playing former high school classmates and Search Party standout John Early as Haddish’s partner. The show utilizes a deceptively simple formula (terrific writing, well-rounded characters, exceptional performances, and a riveting whodunit) to produce a fascinating mystery that deftly blends intrigue and hilarity into one compelling story.

But if I were handing out class superlatives to the show, the first one would be awarded to the comedy dream team of Sam Richardson and Ben Schwartz.

Richardson and Schwartz are joy personified in The Afterparty. I’m a longtime fan of both performers (I highly recommend Detroiters, Werewolves Within, Middleditch & Schwartz, and The Earliest Show), and separately they’re tremendous; but together, they’re absolute magic. The duo’s chemistry and obvious affection for each other is palpable, resulting in an avalanche of hilarity that’s sure to put a smile on your face. Their jubilance is elevated by the life or death stakes of the situation. Without giving away too much of the story, Richardson’s character Aniq is one of the prime suspects, so the playful zaniness between the two on-screen goofballs offers a fun juxtaposition to the sobering reality of the ongoing murder investigation.

The jokes are delivered at such a breakneck pace that you won’t know what was written and what was improvised. Both Richardson and Schwartz have prolific live comedy backgrounds (Richardson performed at Second City and Schwartz is a long-time UCB improviser), so it should come as no surprise that the pair were given ample opportunities to improvise. During a recent conversation with Decider, showrunner Christopher Miller and executive producer Phil Lord revealed that while the scripts “were meticulously planned out” there was a lot of room for the actors to add their own creative zest.

“A lot of that stuff was scripted, and a lot of it was stuff they added,” Miller told us. “You can see that [Schwartz and Richardson] really love each other in real life… and you can feel the warmth and love between them. We could tell we had something special day one of shooting.”

There are a slew of buzzy new shows set to premiere in early-2022, but I’m happy to report that The Afterparty is the best of the bunch. Apple TV+’s newest charmer exceeds even the loftiest of expectations as it delivers an uproarious, cleverly crafted murder mystery that’ll leave you wanting more.

The first three episodes of The Afterparty debut Friday, January 28 on Apple TV+, with new episodes dropping weekly on the streamer.

Watch The Afterparty on Apple TV+