Review of I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore (2017) by Grayden L — 07 Mar 2017

"I Don't Feel at Home In This World Anymore" is a slice of life piece where things go from the frustratingly mundane to the wildly out of control and then back again. The quirky but authentic performances carry this piece through each stage as the violence and stakes escalate. The music choices were eclectic and perfect - from eerily tribal to honky tonk gospel.

I loved the choices made for the different set locations. The houses in the suburbs were spot on with the horrible cheap wood paneling, thick carpets, and flimsy galvanized steel screen doors. They really set the scene for the essence of a failing American dream and are a stark contrast to the lawyers house where it seems that being an asshole really does pay - on the surface at least. At the end of the day though - all the assholes karma tabs come due, and our heroine gets her lovely evening sunset barbecue with her friends. What a nice ending.

I only have one critique - I feel the director let things get a little out of hand with a couple segments - the lawyers arm stump after his hand was shot off was glaringly fake and the obviously over the top (from a hose) vomit scene. I know it's easy to get carried away when one is filming those type of scenes, but the film as a whole would have been more convincing if those two segments had been more restrained.

All in all, this is a great film, and the female protagonist, Ruth (Melanie Lynskey), gives a perfect performance.