Joey King in “The Act” Brownie Harris / Hulu How is she capable of being coaxed into complacency for so long, and yet also capable of such extreme violence? All the while, King’s got to keep up that voice, which alternates between hilarious and exasperating. King has to convince the audience why this kid would take so much abuse from her mom while slowly transitioning to a more active, vengeful place.

The series begins with a flash-forward to cops discovering Dee Dee’s dead body in the house - how we get there (and what happens to Gypsy) is the central mystery. King has to play to the extremes of Gypsy’s personality in order to emphasize just how messed up things got in that house, and to exacerbate the situation toward its morbid endpoint. She speaks in the sweet, high-pitched voice of a six-year-old who’s just figured out how to get what she wants by playing the cute card. She doesn’t know anything about sex despite being at least 14 years old (her age is a point of debate in the narrative). Gypsy wears wigs and dresses to look like Disney princesses. Dee Dee says that’s one of her symptoms, but it quickly becomes clear the parent prefers her child to stay forever young. At times, you just want to know what this thing is, but after a few hours, you’ll be surprised to find how much time you’ve spent enjoying the taste.Īs can be expected for a housebound girl with only an overprotective mother for company, Gypsy also suffers from a bit of arrested development.

While last year’s summer sensation was an addictive, dense slice of cherry pie - with an interwoven lattice topping purposefully shaped for its refined flavors as much as the ornate admiration it attracts - this spring’s offering is a peculiar pastry you can’t stop poking. Though Gillian Flynn’s adaptation will face off against both Arquette miniseries at this year’s Emmys, the latest isn’t as meticulously edited, captured, or performed as HBO’s outstanding modern gothic mystery, and it’s not trying to be. In all seriousness, “ The Act” isn’t much like “Sharp Objects,” in tone or quality. Plus, Arquette’s creepy new Hulu limited series has the benefit of being true - take that, Adora. Patricia Arquette is out to single-handedly destroy “Sharp Objects.” Not only did the Oscar-winning actress steer Showtime’s “Escape at Dannemora” to a Golden Globe that could’ve belonged to Amy Adams, but now she’s playing a mentally deranged mother who poisons her daughter in order to keep the abused teen dependent on her.

Is the act a true story