2015 Directed by Patrick Brice
Alex, Emily, and their son, RJ, are new to Los Angeles. A chance meeting at the park introduces them to the mysterious Kurt, Charlotte, and Max. A family “playdate” becomes increasingly interesting as the night goes on.
Virando a Noite, Nuit blanche entre amis, Noche de locura
“I have an abnormally small dick.”
After watching Brice’s debut, the amazing : ‘Creep’ (2014), I was incredibly interested into what he was going to make next, especially because of the fact that ‘Creep’ was filmed like a documentary, so I was eager to see how Brice would shoot a more conventional looking film. Brice does a great job behind the camera, the man is obviously very capable of helming a film and has already displayed his poignant attitudes towards filmmaking.
I distinctly remember when this film came out. Just by judging the posters, the film was definitely marketed (at the time of release) as a more formulaic, accessible film than it actually is. I do believe that the marketing…
The Overnight candidly examines sexuality with clarity, compassion, and a keen sense of humor. Under all the insecurities, facades, and confusion, the human body is not to be ridiculed and to be put up against false standards, but to be celebrated as the unifying force of humanity. Experimentation is the key to the understanding of oneself and others. It is refreshing to see such a fresh, potent viewpoint on the subject. Patrick Brice nails the tone and the character interactions like a boss. The cast all rise to the challenge. Adam Scott, Jason Schwartzman, Taylor Schilling, and Judith Godrèche are fearless in their devotion. Their chemistry is undeniably erotically charged and furiously compelling. The build up to the climatic finish is the kind of awkward character work that is endearing instead of off-putting. And that finale capitalizes on the foreplay masterfully. It's safe to say that I dug the hell out of this. Oh, did I mention cocks? Because...COCKS!!!
A silly look at male insecurity in all its shapes and sizes, Patrick Brice’s throwaway sex comedy is predicated on the idea that a marriage is a lot like a penis: Sometimes it’s hard, sometimes it’s not, and sometimes seeing somebody else’s can make you question the value of your own. Alex and Emily (Adam Scott and Taylor Schilling) are high-school sweethearts who’ve just made the move from Seattle to Los Angeles with their young son in tow. She’s relatively unfazed by the prospect of starting over in a new city, but Alex is desperate to make new friends. Enter Kurt (Jason Schwartzman), a local dad who meets Alex in the park and promptly invites his new neighbors over for dinner.
How refreshing to see a comedy handle human sexuality in such a frank and candid way. Notice the terms "hetero" "bi" or "gay" were not even mentioned once in this film. Gender roles are blurred beautifully here as two married couples have a double date and their evening escalates into a wild night of self-discovery and sexual awakening.
Writer-Director Patrick Brice (who nailed it with CREEP earlier this year) proves yet again to be incredibly deft in handling tone. I was waiting for THE OVERNIGHT to dive into "creepy" territory as ulterior motives eventually surfaced, but the actors showcase an incredible sense of empathy and vulnerability. These are real people with deep, underlying sexual issues and the film has no…
As soon as I saw that poster I knew this movie would have something to do with buttholes.
If you're uncomfortable you don't have to do anything you don't want to.
-Emily
It's like someone made a roller coaster of awkward moments with each peak going higher and higher until you either regret your decision for even going on the ride, or you're thrilled with the climactic end.
It tackles actual marriage issues and questions of sexual identity, but in the end doesn't have much to say about either. It has a hell of a time just exploring them though during the course of one night and two couples.
Second movie I've seen from director Patrick Brice this year, with the other being Creep, it's clear that he and the Duplass Brothers have no interest in making films we've seen before. How he restrained himself and kept this film low key despite having huge WTF moments is beyond me, but the film is stronger for it.
Not much to say about this except that it's an entertaining, funny, awkward 80 minutes. With a cast containing Adam Scott, Jason Schwartzman and Taylor Schilling it always had a great chance of pleasing me and that it did. A very adult comedy, unsurprisingly the Duplass Brothers were sort-of involved (producers) as it feels a lot like their work, where nothing's off limits but there's also a very human quality to proceedings. An easy watch, preferably with a $2 bottle of wine that "19 year-olds use for cooking."
Hilarious, uncomfortable, and sweet, this film takes place over the course of one very interesting night as Alex and Emily try to make new adult friends in a new town. But their new friends have something a little more "adult" in mind than they anticipated.
It's an entirely slapstick-friendly premise that's handled with a surprising restraint and rarely feels cartoony. All the players turn in great comedic performances, but I would like to see Schwartzman try to play a character that isn't douchey for once.
Overall, I'm a fan of films that take place over the course of one weird, transformative night and this one did it well. And, at 1 hour 15 minutes, it never overstays its welcome.
