What It Is: George Decker (Poelle) and his peers are living the suburban nightmare. Trapped in a bitter marriage with Annie (Kim), an aspiring actress, George struggles to hold down his soul-crushing job while clinging to the hope that Annie will land a paid gig—giving them the financial boost he desperately needs to escape their gun-obsessed city for the Bahamas. But as Annie seems to climb the ladder toward her dreams, George spirals further into frustration, entertaining fantasies of violence that grow harder to ignore.

What We Think: To clarify, this is a satirical black comedy with a quirky style, visually and thematically referencing 1950s American suburbia. The concept itself is solid, and the execution is, at times, more interesting than the premise. However, it ultimately falls short, particularly in delivering comedy alongside its satire.

With its heavily stylized tone, the film bombards us with one gag after another—but unfortunately, few land as intended. The central comedic device boils down to: everyone hates each other because they hate their mundane lives. This leads to painfully awkward dinners, strained conversations, violent fantasies, and eventual outbursts of real violence. While these elements could work, the problem is that the humor just isn’t effective, and the film reiterates the same points over and over, making for a repetitive, often dull experience.

On a technical level, the film is well-crafted. The production design is strong, the cast is solid, and the direction is clean. But the story itself suffers from monotony—a flaw that could have been softened with more warmth, humanity, or at the very least, some engaging character arcs (which don’t really emerge until the very end). The conflict barely escalates, and the humor—especially in a satire critiquing America’s normalization of violence—should have been sharper and more entertaining. Instead, the violence is underwhelming, serving more as a tired narrative device than a meaningful or comedic statement.

The film gets stuck in a loop: a couple argues, George resents his life, Annie rehearses for her role—rinse and repeat. We grasp the bleak, purgatorial existence of these characters within the first ten minutes, yet the film never shifts gears or adds enough intrigue to sustain interest. The characters—more like caricatures—lack the dynamism needed to make their dysfunction compelling. There’s little to latch onto, and worst of all, little that’s genuinely funny.

That said, there are a few bright spots. The convenience store clerk (arguably the funniest character) managed to get a chuckle out of me, and there are some creative filmmaking choices sprinkled throughout. But overall, the narrative and humor weren’t strong enough to keep me engaged without some effort. It’s like if that SpongeBob episode where he tries to be “normal” was stretched into a full-length feature—except, perhaps, it didn’t need to be. The message and tone could have been just as effective in a short film.

Our Grade: D+, Sad to say, I just wasn’t a fan (please, don’t shoot me). While the filmmaking style and performances are solid, they aren’t enough to make up for the lackluster storytelling and humor. The film also presents a sort of nihilism that feels unearned, clashing with its otherwise goofy tone.

That said, I can see a better movie hiding in here with some reworking—one with sharper satire, better comedic execution, and more engaging character development. If you’re in the mood for a satirical suburban-American comedy, I’d sooner recommend Serial Mom, Polyester, Vivarium, Happiness, or Office Space.

Still, I’d love to see the filmmakers persist and refine their craft—hopefully with stronger, more developed stories in the future.