This movie definitely exceeded my expectations. If you enjoyed Trey Edward Schultz's "Krisha", and you want another story of a woman at a family gathering with an atmosphere of uncomfortable tension punctuated by a low-key score, but as a comedy, you'll probably really enjoy this movie.
Maintaining a strong sense of energy/tension/discomfort/hilarity for a whole movie IS VERY VERY DIFFICULT and VERY IMPRESSIVE.
From the perspective of the protagonist Danielle everyone else seems to have their lives figured out and her refusal to be honest about her uncertainty of where her life is going leads to plenty of awkward miscommunication and amusing moments. The performers' delivery of the script is great, which is a huge relief, because great scripts, particularly for comedies, can fall flat if the delivery isn't perfectly in-sync with the screenwriter's intent. Plenty of indie comedies with decent scripts lack convincing dialogue delivery.
The tension builds along with the intensity of the score and the suffocating way the shots are composed. The grinning faces of Danielle's elderly relatives are occasionally framed in a way that they appear comically menacing.
I'm always looking for good comedies, which can be hard to come by. This is sincerely the best comedy movie of 2020. EXCELLENT JOB EMMA SELIGMAN I AM NOW A FAN!
