Spent (2017) User Reviews

Hot garbage.

[orphicdragon · 1/10 · 14 January 2018]

Christ I wish I could give this turd a -10 star.

I can't even...

I'll say it like this, "The Room" has oscar quality acting when compared to this abomination. I "spent" most of this abortion cringing in its awfulness. Ewe Boll would call this thing a disgrace to the art of movie making.

Avoid watching this thing, it's sheer awfulness could give you cancer.

Worst acting ever

[mrspace_dog · 1/10 · 9 January 2018]

I appreciate independant film makers but at least get better actors and not a forced script reading. Horrible movie, cutest thing was the girl selling crap everywhere. Her crappy acting was cute.

Actors Sound Like Children TV Show Actors

[Trupiaar · 1/10 · 15 January 2018]

Sometimes you see a movie So Bad you cannot understand how it got produced, how everyone involved didn't understand how bad it was and how bad their acting was. This is definitely one of those movies.

It sounded like the actors were reading lines like they do in children's shows: to make sure the words are super enunciated and the tones are dead and over the top. It was downright creepy, and it was weird that they found an entire movie full of actors that could all be this bad.

Wow. Also, clearly really is full of fake/paid reviews.

Woeful

[alanw-88801 · 1/10 · 21 April 2018]

Only the paid or associated film staff could be voting this movie so high. This is a joke and for people to give it 10/10 is plainly suspect. The voting system is fraught with all these fakes and making the whole process a joke.

An Homage to Satire

[alexanderhanno · 8/10 · 6 January 2019]

"Spent" is an over the top farce and a genuine homage to satire. The dark and ridiculous sense of humor might not be for everyone, but the filmmakers do a fine job of building their own unique world with writer Lisa Mikitarian illustrating a distinct and consistent style throughout. It's a promising first attempt on the indie level and offers plenty of chuckle worthy moments for fans of black comedy throughout.

Fun Indie Romp

[tlg317 · 7/10 · 2 February 2019]

If you're a fan of dark comedies, but you're also in the mood for some lighter fare, Spent is the film for you. Really enjoyed the uniqueness of the characters and watching them interact. I was also a huge fan of the cinematography, especially for an indie film. It was a good movie with good heart.

Dear God!

[mydogsis · 1/10 · 8 September 2018]

What in gods name did I just watch, this is literally the worst thing I've ever seen. Even worse than Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion.

Saw this film at a festival and it is awesome!

[rickkainstunts · 10/10 · 4 May 2018]

A great film with an original script and great premise. Lisa Mikitarian is a great writer. Why can't Hollywood write this well? The sound track is also killer. If you get a chance, check this film out.

Strangely moving dark comedy

[echapman7 · 7/10 · 6 January 2018]

A real curio worth a look for those with a taste for something off the beaten path. Blends dark comedy and sentimentality with mixed results. The dialogue is generally witty and literate (feels like it might have its origins as a stage production) but several scenes play out longer than necessary. Clocking in at 100 minutes, the film would have benefited from trimming about 15. But one is most willing to forgive the over length in scenes involving lead Connie Lamothe who excels as the scheming widow-wannabe, giving the character shades of humanity and regret. She isn't a caricature or a total monster as she easily could have been. The movie takes some stylistic risks, with black and white footage (that seems a bit self conscious) and a spot-on Double Indemnity spoof. For me Spent works best when it goes for warmth, particularly in a mid-movie montage that beautifully conveys the passage of time as well as the possible softening of hearts. There's a very moving payoff at the end involving fireworks. The vintage production design, cinematography and music score are all strengths. Pacing is a weakness. It lacks the bite of the best black comedies, but I enjoyed the filmmaker's love of language and fresh take on the material.

Incredibly well SPENT time!

[bohemianpirate-871-383487 · 9/10 · 8 January 2019]

This gem of a film took me for a few genuine surprises and I loved it!! It's a very well made dark comedy- a la Coen brothers-subtle, dark humor, has an excellent cast and the cinematography is great. What I think most impressed me was the comedic performances by the cast. They had to be so subtle yet engaged to make some of the scenes work, AND THEY DID. I was really blown away by this film because it tackles so many things: It's set in the 40's, the comedic style has to be incredibly specific to work, and then the originality of the film: never knew what was going to happen next, as it should be! Highly Recommend!!

Must see. Old school feel that was hilarious

[johnapplebee-95947 · 7/10 · 3 January 2019]

This movie was definitely different. I loved how they had that 60's to 70's look to it. I thought it had a little bit of the 3 stooges vibe to it. Very quirky with a vintage feel. The acting was very good. Cinematography was good. They did a phenomenal job with probably a small indie budget. Job well done.

Great ride!

[JoshSegel · 9/10 · 29 January 2019]

This unique dark comedy has a vibe all its own, cleverly combining genres and keeping you on your toes throughout. The writing in particular is very strong, the story filled with vibrant and original characters who are brought to life nicely by the very game cast. With a bold and distinctive style, SPENT is a consistently entertaining ride with a surprisingly strong message.

Well-made Indie Film

[shutterspeedfilmsdotcom · 28 January 2018]

Imaginatively shot and edited, Spent is a comedy that ultimately warms the heart. Special kudos to the film's production design.

looking for something quirky and dark... this could be it

[viknesh-silva · 7/10 · 2 March 2019]

A really bleak dark comedy about how we handle our finances, unfaithfulness, and marriage. Slightly too long for a comedy but I enjoyed the filmmaker's love of language and fresh take on the material.

Dark comedy with a serious hidden undertone

[jblockbuster · 8/10 · 5 January 2019]

A dark comedy in which lead Connie Lamothe really convinces. It's funny and daring in it's use of black and white footage mixed with colour, but overall it pans out. The underlying topics of management of your finances and women being dependent on their partners' income put a serious sublayer into the comedy, which I personally really like. The cinematography, score and production design are solid, maybe a tiny bit of a shorter edit would have been great. All in all highly recommended!

You don't want to miss this one

[ruddycarpio · 8/10 · 10 January 2019]

A great dark comedy in a vintage setting with a stylized and unique look and feel. An enjoyable plot with quirky characters. Behind the humor you can find some deeper messages and worthy life lessons. This film features great cinematography, delightful performances, very creative lighting and colors and some really refreshing music tracks.

Indie worthy of watching

[woloszynn · 8/10 · 2 January 2018]

For a small budget indie movie, I thought it was great! Writing, direction, editing, cinematography and sound were fantastic. As someone else said, the production quality is superb, surprisingly so. Even for an indie movie, the effort in these categories rivaled major studio big budget pictures. The actors who played "Margot Peer" and "Herbert Schumacher" were the clear winners of this film. The movie really picks up around the middle-ish when Herbert shows up as he is the center of this particular universe and all the side stories start coming together. Picking a few things out, the soundtrack could have used a few extra bars, and a couple of re-shoots would have been beneficial to help out some of the dialog. All in all, It's an interesting movie and certainly worth the time to watch. For first time writer/director Lisa Mikitarian, "Bravo"! (BTW...love the rat !)

Independence Day

[anakrid · 8/10 · 13 November 2017]

I had an opportunity to see Spent at a festival screening and found myself laughing out loud through much of the film. The story concerns the wife and son of a miserly old man who is dying from a brain tumor. The two have been planning ways to spend the old man's money after his death, only to find that their "Independence Day" is actually a "Fourth of July Miracle," when the old man's tumor goes into remission. Unable to cope with the return of this unwanted family member and his miserly hoarding of the family's finances, the two, along with their gold-digging love interests, all individually plan his demise with a lethal dose of rat poison. There are a few unexpected twists and lots of downright funny dialogue. The dialogue is the best part of the entire film by first-time director Lisa Mikitarian and I look forward to seeing what she is capable of for future films. The cinematography and production values far exceed the film's meager budget. If I had to offer any criticism, it would be that the pacing could have been tightened just a bit, but that's a minor quibble. If you get the opportunity to catch this, do yourself a favor.

Vintage Dark Comedy

[creativeteam-56771 · 8/10 · 6 February 2018]

Spent has a fun vintage vibe with a clever and artistic approach to the cinematography. The story line is quirky and full of unique characters that help this dark comedy work. The character choices are bold and somewhat questionable but it lends to the idea that they aren't trying to take themselves too seriously and ads to the comedy in the film. The pacing is a bit slow and could have used some trimming but overall the surprising twists and ending tied it together nicely.

Fun & unique indie

[melissacenter · 8/10 · 4 May 2018]

Fun movie with a very unique tone! As someone who is a sucker for old music / musicals, the film captured me at the start. I love the vintage feel & strong production value. On first glance it might look fluffy, but don't be fooled! There are clever details interwoven throughout. Thumbs up.

Quirky comedy. Loved the versatile score!

[cjones_iii · 9/10 · 20 July 2018]

This movie had me dying. I literally laughed 'till I cried on a certain part of this film. The characters are so quirky and odd that it puts you in a certain quirky mood, almost as if the film invites you into it's offbeat world. I attribute that invitation to the filmmakers/director; executing their vision so well that it cascades onto the audience. While the film dealt with a "morbid" subject matter, the light and airy dialogue as well as the entertaining score (which was VERY good btw) kept the tone upbeat and jovial. Also, great cast! LOVED the father! He was hilarious.

Overall this was a collection of quirky, entertaining characters set in a wonderfully set up offbeat world, dealing with an unwanted, yet common life situation. The film treated the situation humorously, and brought a new interpretation of "estate planning" to the masses.

Something different

[laurie-44670 · 10/10 · 31 March 2018]

To be honest, this isn't the kind of movie I'd normally watch, and I'll admit it took me a little while before I got it. But once I did, I really enjoyed this movie. I'm so glad it didn't have the same old tired characters and story lines that I've seen repeatedly. It was something different, and I also loved the vintage vibe.

Nice dark comedy in a vintage setting.

[vroth-89221 · 8/10 · 11 April 2018]

Nice dark comedy in a vintage setting. An enjoyable plot with quirky characters, delightful performances, funny dialogue, fitting music, interesting cinematography and use of black and white footage. I especially love when a comedy doesn't take itself too seriously and the creators are able to convey that along the way.

SPENT is a really well-made indie dark comedy!

[ryanbartongrimley · 10/10 · 8 January 2018]

SPENT is a really well-made indie dark comedy! Comedy is literally what I do for a living and this film was super fun! I loved how the script evolved, I loved the direction and the tone was spot-on. Comedy looks easy, but it's not. Dark comedy is almost impossible to nail and this production team really pulls it off!

A fun flick!

[milesoneal · 9/10 · 7 January 2018]

Going in, I knew little beyond the facts that the writer/director was witty, bright, a good writer, and passionate about this film. What I found was a movie that really works, and is a lot of fun. There are curve balls; my wife and I were never quite sure who was going to live, die, or go to prison. I laughed more at this movie than several big name comedies I have seen recently. Spent is well worth your time.