I was actually very surprised by this movie and how good it was from start to finish. The time flew by and the actors all did a great job. I won't give any spoilers away and don't want to be so vague but it's basically a movie about a group of friends that are on a weekend to try and help their buddy deal with feelings that have been suppressed. There are some very funny moments and the actors do a great job with what they were given to make you feel as though you are there with them. The way they all interact was quite well done and you get a real sense that these people actually care deeply about one another. It's a comedy with a serious topic and they do an excellent job. I highly recommend this indie type movie that deals with sadness with a bit of partying and friends with a good sense of humor.
22 Reviews
Love these dudes
lakishaferguson216 February 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Being a HUGE silicon valley fan, I remember seeing some previews however never got around to it til I saw it on Hulu... I really enjoyed this bc I've hung around these people and have had those type of conversations. I do believe it's a movie about straight male bonding and how they choose to deal with difficult situations. I have enjoyed previous work by everyone in the cast and this was no exception. Would definitely watch again. I have a few quips I have to mention; Ari's character didn't wear a ring (had no idea he was married), there wasn't enough character history(no back stories AT ALL), the abrupt ending (what happened to Ari/Jodi, etc.)
Negatives Outweighed the Positives
larrys313 October 2016
I'm not in the demographic that this film was intended for, so perhaps I'm not the best person to rate it. The premise revolves around its main character Joshy's (Thomas Middleditch) decision to still hold his pre- planned "bachelor party", even though his fiancé committed suicide some 4 months beforehand.
As Joshy's friends and acquaintances gather at a rented home in the country, I felt, as things progressed, that some of the dark and dry humor was quite effective, especially that of the dweebish Adam (Alex Ross Perry). However, more often than not the characters and plot machinations could get rather annoying and even "go off the rails" into areas that just didn't work, in my opinion.
To note, there's plenty of drug usage on screen, lots of raw language, explicit references, and one scene of nudity.
All in all, unfortunately I thought the negatives here outweighed the positives and thus only a fair rating.
As Joshy's friends and acquaintances gather at a rented home in the country, I felt, as things progressed, that some of the dark and dry humor was quite effective, especially that of the dweebish Adam (Alex Ross Perry). However, more often than not the characters and plot machinations could get rather annoying and even "go off the rails" into areas that just didn't work, in my opinion.
To note, there's plenty of drug usage on screen, lots of raw language, explicit references, and one scene of nudity.
All in all, unfortunately I thought the negatives here outweighed the positives and thus only a fair rating.
A Few Good Actor, But A Very Bad Movie
mr-roboto-kilroy14 August 2016
First off let me say that there are a few good, but not great actors in this movie. Whom I like in other TV Shows and Movies. So I thought that I might like this one. I was sadly mistaken. This movie didn't seem to have a scripted. It was like a non-funny "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" episode. I'm guessing the director just gave the actors a bio on each of their characters and let them improvise their lines. It's an interesting concept that didn't work. I really wanted to like this movie. I honestly tried to keep an open mind. It was just a chaotic mess right from the first. There was no part in the movie that I found funny, humorous or slightly witty. Don't wast your time on this one.
No breakthrough
paul_tachian10 August 2022
We expect one thing, and get childish frat-boy revivals in most scenes. The inevitable catharsis of the lead character is mired in resentment and self-pity.
It's tough going; you hear much whining from virtually everyone but the deceased. If my social circle revolved around these characters, I might do the same.
It's tough going; you hear much whining from virtually everyone but the deceased. If my social circle revolved around these characters, I might do the same.
Boring copy of "The Hangover" starring nerds for a change. Not shocking, not really funny. Is it quirky? No, rather tedious and going nowhere.
imseeg24 August 2019
The story: 4 Friends are having a party, after one of their girlfriend just has died by suicide. That story sounded quirky and weird to me at first, but unfortunately it isnt quirky or even really funny at all. Worse than that it is rather tedious and going nowhere.
It's basically a boring copy of " The Hangover", but then based on nerds hanging out together and drinking beer. I was wishing for some dramatic or ingenious plot turn that would make this movie more interesting, but nothing happened. Nothing. Well, the parents come to visit at the end of the party. That was about the biggest surprise and they started cleaning up quickly so the parents wouldnt see the bottles of beer. What a flop. 5 stars for making an effort in trying to create an awkward story, yet failing at it miserably...
It's basically a boring copy of " The Hangover", but then based on nerds hanging out together and drinking beer. I was wishing for some dramatic or ingenious plot turn that would make this movie more interesting, but nothing happened. Nothing. Well, the parents come to visit at the end of the party. That was about the biggest surprise and they started cleaning up quickly so the parents wouldnt see the bottles of beer. What a flop. 5 stars for making an effort in trying to create an awkward story, yet failing at it miserably...
Raw and emotional.
ericalynn73285 July 2020
I was unsure about this movie at first- seeing Nick Kroll in a more serious role made me nervous. I am so incredibly surprised. This movie is raw and emotional while having the appropriate amount of comic relief. I felt like I wanted to hang out with this group of people. Everyone has their stories. Everyone has their hardships. Who knows what the future will hold? I will definitely be seeking out more films by the writers. It's such a refreshing and real movie!
Another mislabeled drama
mcnofx22 January 2020
Don't watch this movie if you're expecting to laugh. The cast is virtually exclusively comedy actors so it's labeled a comedy. I chuckled once. The entire thing was just a hard-to-watch misery fest. I can't stand when movies do this. Just call it a drama and save me the two hours.
Load of Crap
suhstayn15 August 2017
What a load of crap! It was like watching a couple of guys hanging out on a reality TV show chatting to one another. Only with worse dialogue. The script was awful. The characters were uninteresting.
Seriously, the film should have been about 15 minutes long. The rest was filler.
Awful movie. Not entertaining at all. Nor was insightful about the characters / situation. Waste of an hour and a half. Should have stopped watching earlier instead of finishing this garbage.
Seriously, the film should have been about 15 minutes long. The rest was filler.
Awful movie. Not entertaining at all. Nor was insightful about the characters / situation. Waste of an hour and a half. Should have stopped watching earlier instead of finishing this garbage.
Boring movie with bornign people
fluffchop11 June 2021
The scene with the parents omg just cringe. This movie is garbage with good acting but no story. There was the most poorly written script they carried out with zero results. I can't stand this millennial generation they're so pathetic. The world is screwed with these people coming up. It's just utter garbage.
Complete Waste Of Time
stl-520217 September 2021
Emotional rollercoaster. Fantastic!
ryanjvolk30 August 2020
I was hesitant to start this movie because of the low rating but I like all the actors and I'm very glad I did.
I was under the impression this would be nonstop laughs. I was almost immediately proven wrong.
This movie let's your guard down & then hits you with surprisingly emotional moments that don't feel cheap.
I feel like I know all the character types. It's very hard not to spoil this movie. Sure the acting isn't perfect & it can get surprisingly dark but it felt like hanging out with real people who were going thru some stuff & came out the other side.
Very touching, sometimes funny. Give it a chance.
First of all, not a comedy.
b-suhr0114 January 2020
This movie is not a comedy. There are some funny parts and the actors and actresses all play their characters perfectly, but it's not a comedy.
This is more like a Lost in Translation or Garden State. It's a movie about people gathering after an event and the events that transpire during that time. As much as this is a Thomas Middleditch movie, Nick Kroll and Jenny Slate really steal the show. I think they may have the most dialogue in the movie with Brett Gelman coming in third.
It's a really well written and well acted movie. It won't change your life, but it won't ruin it either. Take some time out to watch a movie about events and the people within them, even if the conclusion isn't what you thought it would be.
Saddly Underrated
danielrko16 October 2019
A light movie to watch. Good jokes and comedy but not entirely , and that's why we have too much haters.
A random party weekend with a beauty message : "This is a story about friendship"
And no guys is not trying to be "The Hangover" ...
A random party weekend with a beauty message : "This is a story about friendship"
And no guys is not trying to be "The Hangover" ...
Melancholic, with comic relief
kelly-reed435 January 2020
Warning: Spoilers
This is a great cast. The emotional performance by Thomas Middleditch was moving, for sure. And they covered the topic of suicide and its aftermath pretty accurately. Nick Kroll brings a great comic relief, thank goodness! Otherwise, it would need to be labeled as a "drama," alone. But it's a melancholy film, with some comic relief. The film itself is overall decent.
Really enjoyed this!
erolsabadosh5 October 2016
I watched this with no prior knowledge of what it would be and was very pleasantly surprised. There's a great cast, all of whom I've seen and enjoyed in their various TV shows. The story is about a group of friends on a weekend retreat bonding after a traumatic event and it's mostly just conversations and mundane character interactions, usually involving drinking and drugs.
Some of it was absolutely hilarious and some of it was very emotional, yet it all felt very real. It's not a mind blowing or deep film but it's brisk, fun and well acted. A great low key adult comedy! Definitely recommended.
Some of it was absolutely hilarious and some of it was very emotional, yet it all felt very real. It's not a mind blowing or deep film but it's brisk, fun and well acted. A great low key adult comedy! Definitely recommended.
I loved it so much
hammondjaxonr2 May 2020
I absolutely loved this movie. I had seen a bunch of mixed reviews but took a chance anyways because I love Thomas Middleditch and the trailer was really intriguing. After watching, I am absolutely shocked this is only rated at a 5.6 stars. I loved this movie so much. I laughed and I cried, masterfully done! I highly recommend this movie.
You'll laugh, you'll cry. You'll remember it for Middleditch
bob_meg28 September 2016
I haven't been more pleased with a modest indie this year as I was with the daringly (and misleadingly) named Joshy, starring some very bright funny young comic actors, including Silicon Valley's hero Thomas Middleditch.
It's not a stretch to say that Middleditch holds Mike Judge's usual- spot-on-brilliance together on the HBO series, yet it's tempting to relegate him to playing a very good "young tech type". Jeff Baena's Joshy doesn't exactly discard that perception of Middleditch but it's a fantastic vehicle for the actor's emotional range.
But this film isn't a one man show. It's a brilliant ensemble cast of (mostly) guys, drawn together after disparate periods apart from each other to support Josh (Middleditch) who's suffered a pre-marital setback that redefines Awkward. It's such a clever device that I won't reveal it, though it comes in the first five minutes of the film.
Adam Pally, Alex Ross Perry, Nick Kroll, and Bret Gelman kill with rapid-fire, naturally delivered one-liners that perfectly capture their age, maturity-level (or lack thereof), time and place (Ojai, CA -- very now), and most importantly their relation to each other as well as their biases, fears, and prejudices. It's been said the key to all drama is conflict and it works even better for comedy here. All the guys in this film have a lot going on, much more than they'd disclose about what they're really thinking, about Josh's horrific plight and about each other. It's also refreshing to see a film about guys being guys in Tech Culture 2016 without resorting to some half-baked Big Bang Theory clone. Even better, the indestructible Jenny Slate and Aubrey Plaza join in to kick the feminine factor through the solar-paned roof. Joe Swanberg even shows up in a hilarious cameo, inadvertently toting his wife and kids to this weekend-long drug and booze-filled orgython.
Most impressively, Joshy could even give the tired Mumblecore genre, where "nothing and everything happens" a good name again after some recent major-league misfires ("Results"). The flow of events in Joshy is, like its so-appalling-its-almost-funny McGuffin, so organically developed and executed that it almost seems plausible.
And just when you think there may really be *no* point, Middleditch slam-dunks an extremely cathartic last act monologue that is pain-filled and hypnotic.
I really did not expect this from the director of Life After Beth or I Heart Huckabees. It only makes Joshy all the more sweeter.
It's not a stretch to say that Middleditch holds Mike Judge's usual- spot-on-brilliance together on the HBO series, yet it's tempting to relegate him to playing a very good "young tech type". Jeff Baena's Joshy doesn't exactly discard that perception of Middleditch but it's a fantastic vehicle for the actor's emotional range.
But this film isn't a one man show. It's a brilliant ensemble cast of (mostly) guys, drawn together after disparate periods apart from each other to support Josh (Middleditch) who's suffered a pre-marital setback that redefines Awkward. It's such a clever device that I won't reveal it, though it comes in the first five minutes of the film.
Adam Pally, Alex Ross Perry, Nick Kroll, and Bret Gelman kill with rapid-fire, naturally delivered one-liners that perfectly capture their age, maturity-level (or lack thereof), time and place (Ojai, CA -- very now), and most importantly their relation to each other as well as their biases, fears, and prejudices. It's been said the key to all drama is conflict and it works even better for comedy here. All the guys in this film have a lot going on, much more than they'd disclose about what they're really thinking, about Josh's horrific plight and about each other. It's also refreshing to see a film about guys being guys in Tech Culture 2016 without resorting to some half-baked Big Bang Theory clone. Even better, the indestructible Jenny Slate and Aubrey Plaza join in to kick the feminine factor through the solar-paned roof. Joe Swanberg even shows up in a hilarious cameo, inadvertently toting his wife and kids to this weekend-long drug and booze-filled orgython.
Most impressively, Joshy could even give the tired Mumblecore genre, where "nothing and everything happens" a good name again after some recent major-league misfires ("Results"). The flow of events in Joshy is, like its so-appalling-its-almost-funny McGuffin, so organically developed and executed that it almost seems plausible.
And just when you think there may really be *no* point, Middleditch slam-dunks an extremely cathartic last act monologue that is pain-filled and hypnotic.
I really did not expect this from the director of Life After Beth or I Heart Huckabees. It only makes Joshy all the more sweeter.
A slice of life with a well measured sprinkling of humor.
sportnak29 December 2016
Warning: Spoilers
This popped up on a recommended watch list and I'm a sucker or Thomas Middleditch and Nick Kroll. Its a fun comedy that hits you right in the feels. Everything feels right on point with real life and connects with you. Every connection feels real, and no interactions felt out of place in this movie. Not slapstick funny like "The Hangover", but takes a slightly more solemn humor and has plenty of real moments to make this feel far more engaging, even when the strippers show up.
I didn't read any reviews prior, and I feel that the general synopsis written makes you think "Hangover + Parks and Rec + Silicon Valley + some general depression and solemness". This movie takes some rote comedic humor like bachelor party drugs and strippers, and you start to see the haze of depression slowly clear. But not because of the partying, but because of each other and the things they experienced together.
All in all, this was a great movie that felt like a brief interlude of someone going through a tough time. I was still engaged and connected to several characters, but when characters didn't reappear and hold hands and make out at the end or else where, it felt OK. You don't know what happened and that's fine, because you're just along for the ride.
I didn't read any reviews prior, and I feel that the general synopsis written makes you think "Hangover + Parks and Rec + Silicon Valley + some general depression and solemness". This movie takes some rote comedic humor like bachelor party drugs and strippers, and you start to see the haze of depression slowly clear. But not because of the partying, but because of each other and the things they experienced together.
All in all, this was a great movie that felt like a brief interlude of someone going through a tough time. I was still engaged and connected to several characters, but when characters didn't reappear and hold hands and make out at the end or else where, it felt OK. You don't know what happened and that's fine, because you're just along for the ride.
1 weekend - 5 guys
cekadah22 August 2016
The brief summary given about this story creates a different idea in ones head than what the movie actually delivers. And what the movie offers is a story of four complex guys that have come together to help Joshy get past his depression over the death of his fiancé. And as the weekend of trying to have fun evolves we learn that Joshy is just one of the guys having his own problem. Each one must deal with his own emotional self and girlfriend relationship disappointments.
Joshy must deal with the death of his girlfriend, Ari questions his marriage, Alex gets dumped by his girlfriend of ten years, Eric has commitment issues, and Greg can't seem to find a girlfriend. Each character keeps his feelings bottled up except Alex who tries to rationalize his feelings and is willing to talk to anyone who will listen.
The term 'male bonding' has been used to describe this movie but I believe it has nothing to do with bonding. Four of the five are close friends from the start and Greg was the 'guy who came along for the fun'. The story is actually about trying to avoid the issues at hand through booze, drugs, and strippers! Then near the end the five are forced by circumstance to come to terms with themselves and deal with life as best as one can.
This is a talky movie and each actor does an excellent job at being the character they were cast to be. My favorite was Ari & Jodi - they seemed so perfect together as a couple. Director/writer: Jeff Baena succeeds in creating a story of what life is like more-so in reality than what we want it to be.
Joshy must deal with the death of his girlfriend, Ari questions his marriage, Alex gets dumped by his girlfriend of ten years, Eric has commitment issues, and Greg can't seem to find a girlfriend. Each character keeps his feelings bottled up except Alex who tries to rationalize his feelings and is willing to talk to anyone who will listen.
The term 'male bonding' has been used to describe this movie but I believe it has nothing to do with bonding. Four of the five are close friends from the start and Greg was the 'guy who came along for the fun'. The story is actually about trying to avoid the issues at hand through booze, drugs, and strippers! Then near the end the five are forced by circumstance to come to terms with themselves and deal with life as best as one can.
This is a talky movie and each actor does an excellent job at being the character they were cast to be. My favorite was Ari & Jodi - they seemed so perfect together as a couple. Director/writer: Jeff Baena succeeds in creating a story of what life is like more-so in reality than what we want it to be.
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