It’s Florida, Man - (MAX) 

By: Rachel Brodeur

Ripped straight from the headlines, MAX’s new series, It’s Florida, Man tells real-life stories from our nation’s most wild state with clever editing and comedic flair. The series is structured using an episodic true-crime formula where a person directly involved in a headline-making event tells their story to the camera. Their words are then spliced with reenactments, where they often provide a narrator voiceover to the scenes. Unlike actual true crime, however,  It’s Florida, Man highlights stories that are chosen for their outlandish extreme eccentricity, not their tragedy, and the reenactments highlight the ridiculousness of the interactions being described. The effect is a show where the viewer is alternately cringing in disbelief and laughing out loud at the absurdity. 

Audiences will see many familiar faces as reenactments are performed by actors known for their comedic roles in film and television. Each episode features a different cast with names like Anna Faris (House Bunny, Scary Movie), Randall Park (Fresh off the Boat), and Ego Nwodim (SNL) making each episode a unique experience. Some of the series’ best moments come by way of the narrator, who recounts their stranger than fiction stories as the production cuts to actors delivering the exact same lines with a deadpan steadfastness allowing the audience to bask in the unmistakable  ridiculousness of the proceedings. The editing, the timing, and the delivery are right on the mark.  

It’s Florida, Man is a series that doesn’t take itself too seriously. The producers, the same team behind the action comedy The Righteous Gemstones, deliver audiences an interesting window into the lives of people that prove that truth is often stranger than fiction. Like the state of Florida itself, the stories are varied, and viewers will most likely connect with some better than others, but most should find that it is worth the 30-minute investment. 

Rachel’s Rating: 7/10  MAX's It’s Florida, Man, brings a needed levity to television screens with 30 minute stand alone episodes retelling some of the wild stories behind Florida’s most sensational headlines. Using real people’s voiceovers blended with veteran comedic actors' reenactments, the show is a light-hearted gem.