SXSW TV Review: ‘Government Cheese’ is a Quirky Show Bolstered by a Magnetic David Oyelowo

Coming out of prison is never easy, and things aren’t always the way they were before or how someone expects them to be. Government Cheese heightens the experience for its protagonist, who returns home more determined than ever to make his life a success but is impeded both by his own self-confidence and the allure of quick fixes and factors far beyond his control. It’s an often transfixing and sometimes perplexing experience that is, if nothing else, inventive and unique in its depiction of one man’s journey towards something resembling happiness.

Hampton Chambers (David Oyelowo) is surprised to learn upon his release from prison that his wife Astoria (Simone Missick) and sons Einstein (Evan Alexander Ellison) and Harrison (Jahi Di’Allo Winston) don’t exactly have a place for him in their lives, more than happy to subsist without him. Facing debts he owes to associates in prison, Hampton puts everything he has into manufacturing a miraculous self-sharpening drill that he’s invented, but the path to a clean fresh start is paved with plenty of illegal acts with the help of a friend (Bokeem Woodbine) that he truly believes can get him back to where he needs to be to live an honest life.

There’s a lot going on in this show that sometimes feels like it’s coming from out of nowhere. It’s best compared stylistically and tonally to another recent Apple TV+ series, Hello Tomorrow!, and though this one isn’t set in a retrofuturistic society, there are definitely elements that feel larger than life or perhaps supernatural. The trust in faith that Hampton has developed over the course of his time behind bars is a driving force which often feels like it’s almost guiding him, and there’s a rhythm to the way certain episodes are structured that’s reminiscent in part of a lighter version of the Fargo TV series.

Each episode of this show is united by plot points and Hampton’s overall narrative, but they’re each introduced in a manner that makes them feel distinctly separate and which speaks to the content of that particular half-hour. One installment opens with a tour of a synagogue and everything within it, with items and expressions spelled out in Hebrew and English on screen, which then leads to Hampton robbing the synagogue and breaking some of the carefully spelled-out rules noted by the rabbi. It’s an irreverent approach that makes this show feel unique, even if it’s sometimes hard to find a solid point of access to get into the very distinctive mood of this show.

However offbeat this show might be, Oyelowo has understood the assignment. His return to Apple TV+ following his leading role in season one of Silo marks a much less serious part, one that allows him a bit of levity following other recent turns in The Girl Before and Lawmen: Bass Reeves. He plays Hampton with a certain buoyant curiosity, full of energy and a desire to please. It’s a performance that’s sometimes outright comedic as he sneaks into restricted areas or tries to do something very obviously devious. Missick, a veteran of Iron Fist and All Rise, is a great foil for him, and it’s always good to see Emmy nominees Winston and Woodbine, as well as promising newcomer Ellison. Louis Cancelmi, seen recently in Billions and the Sundance breakout Sorry, Baby, is also a welcome presence in a limited role.

Government Cheese boasts strong production values, using intentional colors and sets to evoke its 1969 setting. It’s a show that’s fun to watch, with episodes that fly by at under half an hour in length. Its lack of fidelity to a set narrative structure and any one style will entice some audiences and may turn others off, but there’s a definitive creativity to the way this show plays out that makes it an engaging experience that doesn’t feel like most other series. Oyelowo is the best reason to watch, and it’s hard not to root for Hampton, even if his self-sharpening drill doesn’t sound nearly as fascinating as he seems to think it is.

Series Rating: 7/10