Summary
Despite ostensibly beinga food show,Omnivore (2024)appeals more to spiritual rather than physical appetites. Offering a detailed journey through some of humanity’s most fundamental ingredients, there is a zealotry that permeates everything – from legendary chef Rene Redzepi’s opaque, sermon-like narration, to case studies of individual craftspeople who make magic from humble building blocks. Althoughthe Apple TV+ seriesfalls short of true greatness, it nonetheless provides a fascinating window into why food is just as central to society as any religion.
Omnivore Explores All Aspects Of The Food Industry
The show brings fascinating individual stories to life
Like all great cooking,Omnivoreis unafraid to give its raw components the time they need to mature. Individual episodes meander, unconcerned with creating unnecessary drama. Instead, specific stories are allowed to breathe, unfolding at their own pace. Episode 1, for instance, takes a particularly leisurely look at chili farming in Serbia – an appropriate approach, given the patience needed to perfect the growing of peppers. By not rushing,Omnivoreallows us to savor each vignette, before moving onto the next complex mouthful.
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This is not to say the show is boring. When it wants to be,Omnivorecan be as exhilarating as any action blockbuster, with sumptuous visuals that wouldn’t look out of place in a Bond movie(unsurprising, given the involvement ofNo Time to Diedirector Cary Joji Fukunaga). Episode 2, for example, charts the story of Atlantic bluefin tuna, beginning with the giant fish’s capture in Southern Spain, where snorkelers use a combination of ancient Phoenician fishing techniques and deadly modern firearms to harvest the animals as painlessly and efficiently as possible in a carefully choreographed underwater flamenco.
The show is deliberate in its mission to highlight the people involved at every level of the food chain, from thunderous tuna auctioneers at Tokyo’s fish market to soft-spoken Spanish butchers with a penchant for pet donkeys.
Although Redzepi, head chef and creative force behind Noma – perhaps the most significant and revered fine dining destination of the past two decades – drivesOmnivoreforward through voiceover, he is not its dominant presence.The show is deliberate in its mission to highlight the people involved at every level of the food chain, from thunderous tuna auctioneers at Tokyo’s fish market to soft-spoken Spanish butchers with a penchant for pet donkeys. The importance of individual personalities and passions is constantly reinforced, and Redzepi’s ego takes a backseat to other expertise.
As in every food show, there are the requisite shots of glossy jamón ibérico, fat sausages, pillowy bread, and steaming street cookery that will make any mouth water. However, there are just as many forays into freight containers, markets, and butcher shops,highlighting that there is more to food than just consumption. As a result,Omnivoreis more well-rounded than many contemporary series. It’s determined to expose us to every rung of the ladder, sometimes with uncomfortable implications.
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Omnivore Is Weakest When Addressing Difficult Questions
It sometimes shies away from the most challenging topics
This willingness to examine all facets of the food industry pushesOmnivoreinto some challenging territory. It’s in these moments that the show can feel underbaked. Often via Redzepi,the show asks difficult questions about sustainability, the future of dining, and the ethics behind modern factory farming. In episode 5, for example,Omnivoredirectly grapples with the dilemma of watching an animal die versus how death is a prerequisite for feeding the world’s ravenous population.
Yet as it threatens to become something truly boundary-pushing,Omnivorebacks away from being too bold. Episode 5 doesn’t show death, contenting itself with comfortable euphemisms, nor does episode 2 satisfyingly answer how the world’s appetite for tuna can coexist with the pressures placed on our exhausted oceans. When these truly existential questions arise,Omnivoreducks the issue, falling back into comfortable platitudesthat sound pretty while ultimately leaving the really tricky issues for other shows to answer.
For those who enjoy food in its entirety,Omnivoreis a nourishing tasting menu, spread out over eight courses that provoke, inform, and entertain. However, as is often the criticism with fine dining (and Noma itself), there are moments when the substance fails to live up to the spectacle. While it will certainly leave you full,Omnivoremight also have you questioning whether it was all as meaningful as it first seemed. Yet — and this is an important caveat — this is still a show that pleasantly lingers on the palate.
Omnivore
Cast
In this unparalleled documentary event, Apple TV+ takes viewers into the culinary world of renowned chef Reneě Redzepi, the founder of Noma - the world’s best restaurant - on a journey around the world that gives a glimpse into the beauty and complexity of the interconnected food chain of food that links us all. “Omnivore” celebrates how we grow, transform, share, and consume the ingredients that build our societies, shape our beliefs, and forever alter our human story.
