February 12, 2019
by Ryan Roschke
First Published: February 11, 2019
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Catch-22, the 1961 novel by Joseph Heller, is so iconic that the titular phrase is still used, to this day, to describe life's most paradoxical situations. Now, in 2019, the satirical story that started it all has been adapted into a new series by Hulu, and there's already a teaser! What's more, it looks really good. With a star-studded cast — George Clooney, Kyle Chandler, Christopher Abbott, Hugh Laurie, and more — and plenty of striking imagery to reel us in, it's hard to see how this won't be one of the most talked-about series in 2019.
If you're not familiar, the story plunks us right into the World War II trenches, where pilots are desperately trying to be relieved from duty. They request mental evaluations, hoping the army psychiatrist will declare them insane . . . but the catch is, if you have enough mental faculties to request an evaluation in the first place, you are, by default, sane enough to fly a plane. Cue the ensuing madness that surely can't lead to any kind of bright conclusion. Catch-22 premieres on May 17. Try not to unravel before then.