Page 28 - Sharp Spring 2021
P. 28

 Money and Power
A LAZY CRITIQUE MIGHT DISMISS Industry, the HBO banking
drama that follows a group of recent graduates vying for a permanent position at a fictional London invest- ment bank, as little more than a frothy romp through blooming adulthood in moneyed London. But here, sex, drugs, and partying serve a purpose: they reveal how the pursuit of money and power moulds young minds. The bank is a place where the thrill of playing God shapes the contours of capitalism.
Industry benefits from its perspica- cious creators Mickey Downs and Konrad Kay’s experience on the trading floor. Ex-bankers themselves, the pair depict how the chaotic environment engenders tricky power dynamics between managers and juniors, men and women, rich and poor. This grounds the show’s more sensational elements. Under these conditions, who wouldn’t have a kinky workplace affair or stimulant-soaked night? When you’re 22 and working in the city, the world feels like a meritocracy. But in the City of London, success is a zero-sum game. Or maybe they’re two sides of the same coin.
Via Zoom from London, Downs and Kay spoke to Sharp about Industry’s treatment of youth, the importance of its soundtrack, and why they chose to cast unknown actors in the show’s lead roles.
with Mickey Downs
and Konrad Kay
The Industry creators on youth, casting unknowns, and the power of a soundtrack
by JOSH GREENBLATT
28 SHARPMAGAZINE.COM SPRING 2021
GUIDE : MEN WORTH LISTENING TO
   























































































   26   27   28   29   30