Directed by Matt Spicer
Written by David Branson Smith & Matt Spicer
Cast: Aubrey Plaza, Elizabeth Olsen, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Wyatt Russell, Billy Magnussen, Pom Klementieff
Soundtrack: Jonathan Sadoff and Nick Thorburn
I’ll say this right up front.
I don’t know if this movie works for people over a certain age, and I don’t know if it will hold up five, ten, twenty years down the line, but, for right this second, it’s exactly the dark comedy we need.
Good art often pushes, challenges, and makes people uncomfortable, and that’s exactly what Ingrid Goes West is and does.
The film is a no-holds-barred examination/take-down of Insta-culture, and all that goes with it: “curated” lives, phony relationships, sacrificing what matters for what’s fleeting, the insistence that everything is amazing, avocado toast, etc. The conceit of the movie is that Ingrid has mental health issues (which are set up and which she acknowledges), but most of what she does is only a half-step removed from what millions of Instagram users do every day, which is the core of the film’s resonance.
(Not that I think social media is inherently evil. God knows I use it everyday in my personal life and to promote my writing, but every so often you need to hold up a mirror to yourself, which Ingrid provides.)
However, despite the high percentage of social commentary, the movie is still an effective piece of entertainment, mostly working in cringe comedy territory (a la The Office UK), but with enough spoonfuls of sugar along the way to not be completely overwhelming (there’s a subtle running gag about what Ingrid eats which I found quite humorous).
It may not have made me laugh the most of any movie I’ve seen so far this year (I think that honor goes to Spider-Man: Homecoming), and I don’t know that it’s supposed to, given its comedy-drama classification, but Ingrid works in both premise and execution, thanks largely to the handful of performances that really drive it.
Aubrey Plaza in particular jumps into her character in a way I personally have never seen from her before (performance of her career so far?), Elizabeth Olsen (so hot right now) is her usual rock-steady self, O’Shea Jackson, Jr. threatens to steal the movie, Wyatt Russell provides some necessary down-to-earth energy, and Billy Magnussen is an absolute fire-cracker.
Whereas most comedies these days, even ones intended to be taken a little more seriously, often cross the line in terms of suspension of disbelief (which usually doesn’t matter too much, as long as its funny), Ingrid Goes West does a good job of keeping everything fairly reigned in. There are a couple of small plot holes that I could nitpick if I wanted do (but I don’t really do that here because I don’t really believe in it), but overall the movie never jumps the shark.
Of course, with a film of such quality, I’d be remiss if I didn’t at least mention writer/director Matt Spicer. This is a remarkably impressive debut feature, and I hope he can keep up the good work in the future.
So, there you have it. A dark, dramatic comedy that’s actually funny and makes you think.
Well worth seeing.
Rating: ★★★★☆
Ingrid Goes West opens in select theaters in NY and LA on August 10, presumably followed by an expanded release on August 17.