The Good: All of My Friends Hate Me is worth watching for the experience. It's labelled as a "comedy horror," but frankly, it's neither of those. It's closer to Uncut Gems, a film that popularized the "anxiety thriller" but unlike that film, anxiety is a major element of the plot. In that sense, even The Father (with Anthony Hopkins) is another apt comparison; this is a film that brings the internal outside (maybe, possibly) and lets us experience what social anxiety feels like.
I can't express the profound dread and discomfort watching this movie and how emotionally powerful it was at times. All My Friends Hate Me follows a 30 year old man, Pete, who comes back from working abroad to a surprise invite by his university pals for a friend's weekend at his buddy George's family estate. What transpires is a strange weekend where everyone seems oddly cruel, rude, and dismissive of Pete, where he has no idea where his relationships with any of these people stands, and where a stranger (Harry, played to great effect by Dustin Demri Burns) intrudes in on the party. Pete is made to feel like an outsider in what has to be one of the most realistically uncomfortable birthdays I have ever seen put to film.
The performances and dialog are so finely tuned and never cross into incredulity or farce. I could legitimately believe that these people would or could say these things about Pete, but behind his back. The film demonstrates how if everything we said about other people was brought to the forefront, it would be essentially impossible to have any relationships at all.
I also liked how class plays a surprisingly strong role in the narrative. The United Kingdom is known as a country where social class is extremely important, yet no one wants to talk about it or bring it up around other people. That this appears to be a scenario where class is at the forefront of things is really funny and nicely satirical on traditional upper middle class British manners and decorum. The Britishisms in generally are pretty fun for English speaking viewers who are generally more inclined to take an interest in that sort of thing.
At a brisk 94 minutes, AMFHM feels longer because it's so damn uncomfortable. Everything works to make you feel off kilter and uneasy. It's just remarkable how well the tone is mastered here; the cinematography, editing, music, and most of all, performances, are just so good at conveying a singular mood and emotion. It's such a fun, unique, and innovative little film that I'd highly recommend to anyone.
The Bad: Where this movie does fall short is clarity as to what is actually happening. I don't mind when films are ambiguous and leave the viewer interpreting what they've just seen; honestly, those are some of my favourite movies. But, AMFHM misses the mark in giving us at least an IDEA as to the true nature of the narrative.
It's very possible that Pete is an unreliable narrator and what we are seeing is from his perspective and not what's literally happening. However, the film doesn't give us enough clues to actually connect the dots or really have that interpretation (I'll admit I've seen this once and plan to watch it again, so if there is more there, I will happily revisit this review).
This movie is pretty great, but could have used just a little more to make it more ambiguous and thought provoking and less confusing.
The Ugly: Okay, my theory is that what we're seeing is not what's ACTUALLY happened on screen and that Pete suffers from social anxiety, largely undiagnosed, and he self medicates with herbal "calm mints." To him, everything feels like an attack or he's literally reading into what he thinks people think about him.
But then the movie has moments where it can't possibly be the case that this is all in his head. What about when Archie drives the van off and leaves Pete at the house? What about when Charlotte leaves? What about the final scene? Or when his girlfriend comes to visit? These are things that literally happened. Unless, Pete is also a narcissist and thinks everything revolves around him. I just wish the movie gave a bit more, but overall, it's a pretty effective and really interesting film.
I can't express the profound dread and discomfort watching this movie and how emotionally powerful it was at times. All My Friends Hate Me follows a 30 year old man, Pete, who comes back from working abroad to a surprise invite by his university pals for a friend's weekend at his buddy George's family estate. What transpires is a strange weekend where everyone seems oddly cruel, rude, and dismissive of Pete, where he has no idea where his relationships with any of these people stands, and where a stranger (Harry, played to great effect by Dustin Demri Burns) intrudes in on the party. Pete is made to feel like an outsider in what has to be one of the most realistically uncomfortable birthdays I have ever seen put to film.
The performances and dialog are so finely tuned and never cross into incredulity or farce. I could legitimately believe that these people would or could say these things about Pete, but behind his back. The film demonstrates how if everything we said about other people was brought to the forefront, it would be essentially impossible to have any relationships at all.
I also liked how class plays a surprisingly strong role in the narrative. The United Kingdom is known as a country where social class is extremely important, yet no one wants to talk about it or bring it up around other people. That this appears to be a scenario where class is at the forefront of things is really funny and nicely satirical on traditional upper middle class British manners and decorum. The Britishisms in generally are pretty fun for English speaking viewers who are generally more inclined to take an interest in that sort of thing.
At a brisk 94 minutes, AMFHM feels longer because it's so damn uncomfortable. Everything works to make you feel off kilter and uneasy. It's just remarkable how well the tone is mastered here; the cinematography, editing, music, and most of all, performances, are just so good at conveying a singular mood and emotion. It's such a fun, unique, and innovative little film that I'd highly recommend to anyone.
The Bad: Where this movie does fall short is clarity as to what is actually happening. I don't mind when films are ambiguous and leave the viewer interpreting what they've just seen; honestly, those are some of my favourite movies. But, AMFHM misses the mark in giving us at least an IDEA as to the true nature of the narrative.
It's very possible that Pete is an unreliable narrator and what we are seeing is from his perspective and not what's literally happening. However, the film doesn't give us enough clues to actually connect the dots or really have that interpretation (I'll admit I've seen this once and plan to watch it again, so if there is more there, I will happily revisit this review).
This movie is pretty great, but could have used just a little more to make it more ambiguous and thought provoking and less confusing.
The Ugly: Okay, my theory is that what we're seeing is not what's ACTUALLY happened on screen and that Pete suffers from social anxiety, largely undiagnosed, and he self medicates with herbal "calm mints." To him, everything feels like an attack or he's literally reading into what he thinks people think about him.
But then the movie has moments where it can't possibly be the case that this is all in his head. What about when Archie drives the van off and leaves Pete at the house? What about when Charlotte leaves? What about the final scene? Or when his girlfriend comes to visit? These are things that literally happened. Unless, Pete is also a narcissist and thinks everything revolves around him. I just wish the movie gave a bit more, but overall, it's a pretty effective and really interesting film.