When Cuphead the video game launched in 2017, it was hailed as a masterpiece of agony and art—a run-and-gun gauntlet wrapped in 1930s rubber-hose animation. So when Netflix announced The Cuphead Show in 2019, fans braced for disappointment. How do you translate a game famous for brutal difficulty into a family cartoon?
A bowl of cereal, no expectations, and the willingness to say “Why did that just happen?” out loud. The Cuphead Show-
★★★½ (Great for ages 7–107, if you enjoy old-school cartoon nonsense) When Cuphead the video game launched in 2017,
Set on the whimsical, demon-infused Inkwell Isles, the series follows two anthropomorphic teacup brothers—the impulsive, gambling-addicted Cuphead and the cautious, sensible Mugman. Their adoptive grandfather, Elder Kettle, tries (and fails) to keep them out of trouble. Meanwhile, the devilishly charismatic Devil schemes to collect Cuphead’s soul—because, as the pilot reminds us, Cuphead did lose a bet at a casino. The difference? The show rarely dwells on that debt. Instead, it’s a classic “troublemaker vs. straight man” dynamic, with slapstick chases, mistaken identities, and fourth-wall winks. A bowl of cereal, no expectations, and the