Amazon Prime Video’s newest A24-backed show, Overcompensating, was promoted as a coming-of-age comedy drama full of emotional awakenings, cringe-comedy, and campus chaos. But as soon as you press play on the pilot, Benito Skinner, playing an 18-year-old college freshman, does not make sense. While there’s no denying Skinner is a talented comedian with a remarkable social media presence, casting him as a teenager fresh out of high school might’ve been a stretch too big.
He might’ve felt like the right fit for the role to other creators of the series, but one can’t help but notice how very awkward his portrayal is. It doesn’t matter if he throws on a graphic tee or clenches his jaw; none of that will successfully mask the age gap.
Benito Skinner does not look 18 in Overcompensating
Overcompensating is inspired by Benito Skinner’s real-life experiences as a student at Georgetown University, where he hadn’t come out till his senior year. The Amazon series, part of Prime Video’s fresh May lineup, aims to portray a dramatized version of his journey. Skinner plays the role of Benny, who is a hypermasculine freshman attempting to “bro” his way through confusion and self-doubt.
But despite the 31-year-old comedian’s personal attachment to the narrative, he simply does not pass as someone fresh out of high school. He might be playing a fictionalized version of himself, but he does not look, move, or even sound like an 18-year-old in the slightest. His face is more mature, his voice deeper, and his mannerisms are unlike a teen. The portrayal feels too stiff at times, and nothing like the ease with which he delivers his TikTok characters.
Critics have drawn comparisons and pointed out that Skinner looks even more out of place as a teenager than Ben Platt did in Dear Evan Hansen (via Slate). What’s more is, his co-stars range widely in age. While some, like Adam DiMarco and Mary Beth Barone, skew closer to his age, others, like Kaia Gerber and Nell Verlaque, bring with them a youthful essence, which only highlights Skinner’s mismatch. The result? A distracting visual imbalance that didn’t sit right with some viewers.
Overcompensating – Benny is a 30+ year old freshman
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The confusing timeline, full of pop-culture references from the mid-2000s and Spotify Wrapped jokes, only adds to the mix, and it’s evident the series is struggling to find its footing.
Overcompensating producers missed out on an opportunity for authentic representation
Though Overcompensating had its fair share of sincere arcs, especially Benny’s relationship with Miles (Rish Shah), the series often defaults to caricature. Benny’s attempts at masking his sexual identity include awkward bro handshake-hugs, performative locker-room conduct, and forced in-your-face statements like “I love pussy”.
While I acknowledge this may be intended as satire, it just felt like an exaggerated and dated portrayal of a closeted gay. The over-the-top compensation and the fact that Skinner doesn’t even look like a relatable teen made the emotional beats of the show hard to buy into.
What could’ve been molded as a hearty queer coming-of-age story is instead overstrained by its own concept. The series’s more authentic moments that might make you forget the gross mismatch aside for a minute are far too few and brief. The writers have tried to create a balance between pathos and parody but the implementation is uneven and patchy. And, casting a visibly adult actor to play the role of a teenager struggling with his identity does not work in the show’s favor either.
Even cameos from real-life pop stars like Charli XCX couldn’t save the plot from spiraling into confusion. So, while Overcompensating did have a sturdy structure to work around, Benito Skinner’s attempt to convince viewers he’s 18 backfired. This broke the show’s emotional rhythm and believability, proving that a good story is nothing if you don’t have a face to justify the fiction.
Overcompensating is available for streaming on Amazon Prime Video (USA)
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