Known for his beloved comedy shorts online, Benito Skinner quickly rose to fame in 2020 with his hilarious celebrity impressions, skits, and original characters.
The sense of humour he brought during such (and I hate to say it) unprecedented times made Benny Drama an iconic internet hall of famer, and it doesn’t look like he’ll be slowing down anytime soon with the release of his new show, Overcompensating.
A man of many talents, Skinner created, stars in, wrote, and produced the new Prime Video show. Overcompensating is also excitedly produced by the critically acclaimed film production company A24, with Jonah Hill, Matt Dines, and Ali Goodwin serving as executive producers under the Strong Baby banner.
Based loosely on events in his own life, Overcompensating tells the story of a closeted former high school footballer named Benny (Skinner), whose transition into college comes with its slew of complications as he comes into his own.
Overcompensating is an incredibly endearing, genuinely funny, and at times heartbreaking narrative of fighting through the confusing emotional rollercoaster in uncovering your place as a queer person.
The short eight episode season perfectly captures the uncomfortable feeling of coming to understand who you are and how you belong in a world that seems completely out of reach, honing in on one of the most awkward times of young adulthood. With Benny consistently carrying the weight of the desire to be loved and validated amongst his peers, the show plays into heavy underlying tones of internalised homophobia, and battles against toxic masculinity. But it also isn’t afraid to make fun of itself with a hyperbolic play on college life and it’s people, Overcompensating dives deep into the inevitable embarrassing moments people are bound to experience through this period of self discovery; i.e dapping someone up for the first time (a hard watch because it just felt too real).
With amazingly crafted, deep rooted characters who are developed through and through – which can be difficult to do with an eight episode season with a run time of 30 minutes per episode – Overcompensating has been able to create a world that captivates audiences purely out of the relatable nature of these college archetypes, which can be fully credited to the fantastic ensemble cast that brings them to life.
Wally Baram, a comedian and writer in her first ever acting role, plays Carmen, the lovable, naive, and kind hearted best friend we all know and love. Mary Beth Barone, a long time collaborator of Skinner’s (most recently as a co-host on their podcast Ride), plays his sister Grace, the “IT” girl dating the college’s most popular frat boy. Adam DiMarco, who we’ve recently seen in season two of The White Lotus, as Grace’s boyfriend hones the “bro” stereotype in a manner that’s sure to hit close to home for some viewers. And Rish Shah, who plays Miles, is Benny’s unrequited crush throughout the season. What makes their performances so electric, as well as Skinner’s, is how much they feel like real people you know or have met in your life, bringing viewers a sense of nostalgia for these characters and their own experiences with these people.
It’s incredibly clear that Skinner’s ideas and muses are rooted deeply in popular culture, with heavy references to peak moments and tropes from the early 2010s that are still relevant amongst the online discourse in the new digital age today; namely, many (relatable) references to the Twilight phenomenon, the urge to immediately call out songs because you’ve heard it on Glee, The Godfather being every insufferable film bro’s favourite movie, and a high energy score that will get you feeling sentimental for whatever moment in time it brought you back to.
Bringing Charli XCX on board as the executive producer and music producer fuels the continuous nostalgia trip the show created; with songs from Charli XCX herself, Lorde, Britney Spears, and My Chemical Romance scattered throughout the season.
Overcompensating is nothing but brilliant. Every episode feels so fresh and exciting, and it’s mainly due to the fact that you can tell that Skinner put his entire heart into this project. It’s campy, honest, raw, and authentic, and the ability the show has to be relevant and connect with multiple generations will cement its place as one of the classics for years to come.
FIVE STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
All 8 episodes of Overcompensating are streaming on Prime Video from May 15th, 2025.
