Hug the Sun (2021)

Australia has certainly given the world its fair share of entertainment, but you know what's often ignored? The western states!...Or state, rather, we only have one. It's to the point where seeing Perth in a movie is a rare surprise. What the heck am I getting at, you ask? Today's series, Hug the Sun...

Hey there kids, how's it going? It's another lovely day in Australia, and it's time for Hug the Sun, the country's favourite children's show. There's fun, games, and surprises galore, as our hosts BJ, Trent, Linda, and Trina teach us all about the great sun god Oxtos, and his prophet Gary. Why don't you stay and watch, and please donate any money you can to bail our prophet from those scum in the government...

Hug the Sun is a real treat, a great example of Australia's sometimes odd sense of humour. It's a 6-part webseries, in the style of old religious programs, with some Play School type sections. It's crafted in a deliberately 90s style, with VHS filters, static, and a taped-over feel, where we get snippets of ads, footie matches, and Christian stand-up comedy. Quite a mix!

It goes without saying that this is not suitable for children. It's mature, has many gross or foulmouthed moments, and the show gets creepier as it goes on. This contrasts very well with its kiddy exterior, and it's fun seeing what bizarre thing happens next.

The story here is fairly small, as it's only a short series, and the majority is made up of sketches (if that's the right word), but this doesn't mean it's an afterthought. Far from it, it's surprisingly well thought out! The events are quite ambiguous. Is this cult just a sham, is their god real, or is something else unknowable going on behind the scenes?

There's an admirable level of detail here, with some jokes flying by so fast (perhaps too fast!) it's easy to miss them. The show also experiments with different visual styles, as it will switch from a fuzzy VHS filter, to distorted vision and audio, to full HD! There's always an interesting in-universe reason for this to happen too, giving it extra legitimacy.

The characters are a colourful bunch. BJ seems like a typical zealot, but as his potential backstory is revealed and his sanity decreases, he becomes pretty sympathetic. Trent is somewhat opportunistic, while also suffering from crises of faith. Linda meanwhile is a pretty pathetic lady who's clearly caught up in the wrong crown, and has repeated bad luck as the series goes on. Final co-host Trina is perhaps the most malicious, often rewriting the show's history to suit her.

Guests include the perpetually suffering Neighbour George, a shabby magician, and 'clean comedian' Frankie Yabbiebait, who uses only the most timely humour imagineable (after all, we know Charles is gonna be the king by the 2000s, right?). We also have an appearance by Oxtos's enemy the Shädowmän, when the show's hosts teach the kiddies some dark rituals.

The cast in Hug the Sun are great! Ben Russell and Xavier Michelides not only created the show (and wrote it alongside their other mates), but star as BJ and Trent. Russell gets the lion's share of development as his character grows ever more insane and disfigured, while Michelides does well as the straight man. Andrea Gibbs is funny and cute as Linda, and Bonnie Davis also entertains as the smarmy Trina. Greg Larsen has a small but important role as the prophet Gary, getting some laughs. Also appearing are the Aunty Donna boys, as hilarious and crazy as you'd expect! A surreal and anarchic sketch comedy group, they also helped produced the series, as part of their 'Haven't You Done Well?' company.

There are only two areas where I'd have criticisms for Hug the Sun, and both are relatively minor. First, there were a couple of moments here and there that may have gone too far in terms of grossness. And secondly, the show is so short! Each episode is under 10 minutes, which I like and appreciate, but I also thought some of the elements like Frankie Yabbiebait's comedy routines could've maybe gotten more airtime if the episodes were longer. But I don't begrudge the episodes for being so short. After all, look at some shows, on tv or on the internet. They get get downright bloated! So it takes moxie to know when to end a thing while it's good.

That brings us of course to Hug the Sun's future. It seems like a done-in-one deal, having wrapped up the story and its characters pretty well. Will we see more of this wackadoo bunch? Perhaps. I suppose anything's possible, and I'm sure they'd be able to think of a creative way to do that. Although if it ended here, that would also be good, finishing on a high note rather than unnecessarily prolonging it.

Overall, Hug the Sun is a unique and creative show, and well worth a watch. And since it's government funded, you could consider it your patriotic duty to Australia to check it out! If not, maybe the jealous sun god Oxtos will be watching you...