FilmSnobReviews

Title: Don’t Think Twice
MPAA Rating: R
Director: Mike Birbiglia
Starring: Mike Birbiglia, Gillian Jacobs, Keegan-Michael Key
Runtime: 1 hr 32 mins

What It Is: Miles (Birbiglia) is the leader of New York City’s best improv group and with that, he also teaches this affable art. When two members of his group Jack (Key) and Samantha (Jacobs) get invited to a Saturday Night Live-esque skit show they are going to confront emotions and feelings they’ve never realized while trying to figure out why it is they do what they do. Existential crises and career motifs are a plenty here. Will Jack live the dream, does it really matter?

What We Think: There’s raw emotion, there are friendships and heartbreaks. Above everything and anything in this film, it is a human story. It shows that even those no longer in their twenties have to deal with how to deal. Those thirtysomething folks have just as much figured out as those ten years their younger. It shows the envy that sets in when one of your circle finds success. An odd feeling stuck between jealousy and pride. Keegan-Michael Key and director/star Birbiglia walk this fine line so eloquently their motives feeling honest and true in both directions. Gillian Jacobs performance is great and so shows how heavy a weight trying to succeed.

Our Grade: A, Birbiglia’s deft hand behind the camera really personalizes one of my favorite character studies of 2016. I CANNOT recommend this highly enough. From the simple, yet stellar performances to the witty dialogue this is a great film. It isn’t as funny as one would assume, but it does not try to be and it’s a pleasant surprise. Shout out to Kate Micucci and Chris Gethard playing smaller roles and doing it so well. See this at your earliest convenience it’s a great film!