Title: The Overnight
MPAA Rating: R
Director: Patrick Brice
Starring: Adam Scott, Taylor Schilling, Jason Schwartzman
Runtime: 1 hr 19 mins
What It Is: When a young couple moves from Seattle to Los Angeles, Alex (Scott) and Emily (Schilling) and their young son encounter Kurt (Schwartzman) when their son plays with his. This leads to Kurt inviting the couple over for dinner. It is there they meet Kurt’s wife Charlotte (Judith Godréche) and it is right here that everything changes. Once the kids go to bed stuff starts to get weird. Kurt shows Alex and Emily around their home, including some rather strange things from his past. As the marijuana and booze start flowing even more weirdness goes down, and soon suspicions and facts start to arise.
What We Think: This is a rather small film containing just four characters (if you exclude the children) it plays on existentialism and human insecurity with gusto. Brice examines the characters, and never portrays any of his characters as flawless by the films end. They are just humans, they want love, free of objections. They lust for companionship with the spouse they’ve selected. These problems are worked through in a funny, and charming manner. It goes “there” and isn’t afraid to take some chances with its content.
Our Grade: B-, A funny film that is far deeper with its message then it appears. From the very start we have a relationship with the great characters and that relationship is constantly fed by the films decent writing, and enduring creations. I’ll go right ahead and recommend this film but I’d caution people viewing it because of the content within it. It might be extremely off-putting to more sensitive viewers, but to those willing to brave there lies a film thats deeper than you think.