In 1952, the second Red Scare is at its height.

Televised Senate hearings fan the flames of suspicion, the hydrogen bomb is under development, and paranoia seeps into every aspect of American life. The fear that a communist might be around every corner—or even sharing your bed—turns neighbors into suspects and private lives into political battlegrounds. Holy Mackerel! Who couldn’t use a break from such relentless pressure? Audiences came together at the cinema to see their anxiety and paranoia reflected in Film Noir or they watched screwball comedies to float for a time above those same anxieties while society’s rigid social norms were skewered with fast-talking repartee and farcical situations.

In 2026, the particulars have changed, but the feeling is familiar. News arrives faster than ever, a tide of headlines, crises, scandals, and outrage. We could all use a stylistic pause from reality, along with some slapstick silliness to buoy us up.

Red Herring – replete with a healthy dash of “I Love Lucy” silliness and screwball noir pacing – reminds us that while politics may shape the weather, it is the deeply human need to connect (and perhaps even fall in love) that keeps us afloat.

-Karen Estrada