Apple TV Plus' Roar review: A ranking of all episodes by weirdness

Issa Rae, Cynthia Erivo, Nicole Kidman, and Betty Gilpin in Roar

There’s a lot to be excited about with Apple TV+’s new anthology series Roar. It’s based on Cecelia Ahern’s 2018 short story collection, and was created by Liz Flahive and Carly Mensch, who also helmed Netflix’s canceled-too-soon GLOW. What’s more, the cast boasts big names like Nicole Kidman, Issa Rae, and Cynthia Erivo, as well as GLOW alums Alison Brie and Betty Gilpin. At best, though, the show is an amusing idea for an anthology. At worst, it’s a mixed bag of eight whimsical female-centric stories, not all of which pay off.

Each distinctive episode centers on its protagonists’ very relatable issues, but those problems aren’t explored in a straightforward narrative. There are larger-than-life twists, from romancing a duck and eating photographs to living on a shelf and discovering suspicious bite marks. The surreal nature of the show is meant to elevate each half-hour, and that’s accomplished to a highly varying degree. Some installments are hard-hitting, while others offer nothing substantial beyond immediate quirkiness.

Now that Roar is out (the whole season dropped on April 15), The A.V. Club is ranking every episode in terms of just how bizarre things get, and we’re counting down from the least to most absurd installments.

Enjoy—and beware of mild spoilers.

2 / 10

8. Episode eight: “The Girl Who Loved Horses”

Fivel Stewart in Roar — Fivel Stewart in *Roar*

Cast: Fivel Stewart, Kara Hayward, and Alfred Molina

In this coming-of-age tale, a young Jane (Stewart) sets off on a revenge mission to kill Silas McCall (Molina), the man responsible for her father’s death. It’s a spin on classic Western movies that usually run on testosterone, vengeance, and shootouts. Instead, Jane and her friend Millie (Hayward) embark on an adventure that strengthens their friendship. It’s a sweet episode that’s the least bizarre of Roar’s offerings—so much so, it almost feels out of place.

3 / 10

7. Episode one: “The Woman Who Disappeared”

Cast: Issa Rae, Nick Kroll, and Griffin Matthews

If “The Woman Who Disappeared” has any absurdity, it’s overshadowed by the weighty story it presents. Wanda Hill (Rae) is excited about her bestselling novel turning into a Hollywood movie. At a meeting for the film, head honcho (and total dudebro) Doug (Kroll) takes over the project to turn it into a profitable virtual-reality venture about Black Lives Matter. The terrible idea robs Wanda of her voice and vision to the extent that she begins to disappear. No one can hear or see her because her opinion doesn’t count. The meaningful episode simply highlights how corporations, and their typically white leaders, use Black art for their own benefit with no consideration for the artists. The half-hour feels Black Mirror-esque, minus the eccentricity.

4 / 10

6. Episode five: “The Woman Who Found Bite Marks On Her Skin”

Cynthia Erivo in Roar — Cynthia Erivo in *Roar*

Cast: Cynthia Erivo, Jake Johnson, P.J. Byrne, and Jordan Weitz

This visceral half-hour is grotesque but not as weird as several of the other outings in the series. Ambia (Erivo) has recently given birth to her second child and resumed her busy corporate job. Her husband, Greg (Johnson), is a stay-at-home parent. As she jumps back into her professional life, she notices random bruises on her skin that increasingly get worse. It’s easy to assume a sinister twist awaits (maybe Greg is abusive?). Instead, the episode deals in an impactful way with Ambia’s guilt over not being around her family. It’s a gruesome manifestation of how feeling culpable—even if she has no reason to feel guilty—can eat away at a person, especially a mother torn between two worlds.

5 / 10

5. Episode two: “The Woman Who Ate Photographs”

Nicole Kidman in Roar — Nicole Kidman in *Roar*

Cast: Nicole Kidman, Judy Davis, and Simon Baker

Roar keeps it simple—well, simpler than one would expect—with its Kidman-led episode. (Last year’s Nine Perfect Strangers, or the upcoming The Northman, are far odder roles for her.) Here she plays Robin, who is dealing with two different familial events. Her teenage son is off to college just as Robin is helping her mother, Rose (Davis), move into the house after she was diagnosed with dementia. In order to preserve her own childhood memories, Robin develops the habit of eating printed photographs. Chomping on them briefly transports her to her past. Yes, it’s quirky, but her eating habits barely move the plot along. The idea doesn’t do justice to its talented leading star, although Kidman is still terrific here. The emotional significance of Rose and Robin’s road trip saves the episode.

6 / 10

4. Episode seven: “The Woman Who Returned Her Husband”

Meera Syal and Bernard White in Roar — Meera Syal and Bernard White in *Roar*

Cast: Meera Syal, Bernard White, and Peter Facinelli

Anu (Syal) lives in maybe the most exciting universe of all time, where a wife who is dissatisfied with her husband can return him to a store. Talk about the American dream. After 37 years of a boring marriage, Anu decides to get rid of her partner, Vikas (White), and find a suitor who doesn’t see her as a caretaker. Vik is discarded into an aisle with the other sad-sack returnees, with a discount tag promptly attached to him. (It’s a shame the episode later mellows down on this exuberant concept.)

Ultimately, it’s a serious lesson on the importance of communication in a marriage, made even more complicated by the central couple being Indian immigrants who were brought together as an arranged marriage. Anu is forced to reconcile with her decision when her neighbor “purchases” Vik. The tale then turns into a jealous push-and-pull as Anu does some self-reflection before deciding on her future.

7 / 10

3. Episode six: “The Woman Who Solved Her Own Murder”

Alison Brie, Chris Lowell, Hugh Dancy in Roar — Alison Brie, Chris Lowell, Hugh Dancy in *Roar*

Cast: Alison Brie, Hugh Dancy, Chris Lowell, Ego Nwodim, and Jillian Bell

This is a murder mystery wrapped as a feminist fable about violent crimes against women. It’s an intriguing blend of genres, too. Becky (Brie) has no idea why her soul is stuck in this realm after getting killed. Ghost Becky inadvertently assists the two officers on her case. She also believes her purpose is to help gruff Det. Bobby Bronson (Dancy) sort out his life. (This is where the episode loses track of its main story.)

“The Woman Who Solved Her Murder” plays with supernatural elements as Becky struggles to communicate her existence. The absurdity comes from Becky watching others react to her death and then processing her own feelings about it before solving the crime. It’s an unusual, Just Like Heaven-style spin on thrillers with a timely message to boot. No spoilers here, but Brie’s lively performance brings it all home.

8 / 10

2. Episode three: “The Woman Who Was Kept On A Shelf”

Betty Gilpin and Daniel Dae Kim in Roar — Betty Gilpin and Daniel Dae Kim in *Roar*

Cast: Betty Gilpin and Daniel Dae Kim

“The Woman Who Was Kept On A Shelf” is a gripping half-hour about a woman struggling with her independence and identity. Amelia (Gilpin) is a successful model who marries an initially loving Harry (Kim), only for him to keep her on a custom-built shelf in their huge mansion as a prop: a literal trophy wife, if you will. This episode works because of its visual quirkiness; shot after shot of Amelia, decked in absolutely gorgeous outfits, chilling on that tiny shelf to appease Harry. The small space becomes her whole isolated world.

Eventually, his attention dwindles, so she seeks to go outside again. Her weighty decision is indicative of how difficult it is to escape a manipulative relationship. Amelia’s climb down is a loaded moment. It looks fairly easy, but for her, seeking freedom is a monumental step. Gilpin delivers a masterclass performance when Amelia goes in the sun for the first time in years. In freewheeling dance, she rediscovers the simple joys of a beach or doing yoga in the park. So Yong Kim’s direction work makes it all the more worthwhile.

9 / 10

1. Episode five: “The Woman Who Was Fed By A Duck”

Cast: Merritt Wever, Justin Kirk, Riki Lindhome, and Jason Mantzoukas

All the other Roar episodes wish they were as eccentric as this one. Elisa (Wever) is studying at the park when she bonds with a sassy mallard named Larry (voiced by Kirk, and not Mantzoukas for a change). He flirts his way into her home, and the two begin a secret affair. That’s right, Elisa and a toxic bird who loves to gaslight fully romance it up. Everything about them is intense, from the fights to the sexual content. It’s oddly graphic, and you’ll cringe hard, but damn if Wever doesn’t sell the heck out of it.

Elisa’s complicated relationship with her pregnant sister, Lili (Lindhome), is at the heart of it all. The final scenes with both of them are moving, mainly because a stellar Wever commits to Elisa’s psychological unraveling. When the surreality comes crashing down, the poignant narrative doesn’t hit its stride because it isn’t fleshed out. Halley Feiffer’s script makes interesting points about the pressures on women to find a partner and live a traditional life that measures up to societal expectations (as Lili has). The ideas get lost in a whimsical meet-cute, a feathery duck sexually pleasing Elisa, and leaving his poop all over her home when he’s frustrated. Like it or not, it’s the most memorable aspect of the half-hour—and Roar overall.

Every episode of Roar, ranked by weirdness

Every episode of Roar, ranked by weirdness

Let's break down just how bizarre things get on Apple TV Plus' feminist anthology, which stars Issa Rae, Cynthia Erivo, Nicole Kidman, Betty Gilpin

8. Episode eight: “The Girl Who Loved Horses”

8. Episode eight: “The Girl Who Loved Horses”

8. Episode eight: “The Girl Who Loved Horses”

7. Episode one: “The Woman Who Disappeared”

7. Episode one: “The Woman Who Disappeared”

7. Episode one: “The Woman Who Disappeared”

6. Episode five: “The Woman Who Found Bite Marks On Her Skin”

6. Episode five: “The Woman Who Found Bite Marks On Her Skin”

6. Episode five: “The Woman Who Found Bite Marks On Her Skin”

5. Episode two: “The Woman Who Ate Photographs”

5. Episode two: “The Woman Who Ate Photographs”

5. Episode two: “The Woman Who Ate Photographs”

4. Episode seven: “The Woman Who Returned Her Husband”

4. Episode seven: “The Woman Who Returned Her Husband”

4. Episode seven: “The Woman Who Returned Her Husband”

3. Episode six: “The Woman Who Solved Her Own Murder”

3. Episode six: “The Woman Who Solved Her Own Murder”

3. Episode six: “The Woman Who Solved Her Own Murder”

2. Episode three: “The Woman Who Was Kept On A Shelf”

2. Episode three: “The Woman Who Was Kept On A Shelf”

2. Episode three: “The Woman Who Was Kept On A Shelf”

1. Episode five: “The Woman Who Was Fed By A Duck”

1. Episode five: “The Woman Who Was Fed By A Duck”

1. Episode five: “The Woman Who Was Fed By A Duck”