Review of The Overnight (2015) by Ben R — 03 Jul 2015

This movie was kind of incredible. I'm not sure where to begin.

First, let's get all the basics out of the way. Patrick Brice's direction was really solid and natural, and I love how low-budget the movie feels, taking place mostly in one location. Also, let's just keep it simple by saying the movie is funny throughout. Everyone plays off one another beautifully, and the cast is uniformly great, as are the characters they play. Adam Scott is the perfect awkward straight man, as proven by Parks & Rec. Taylor Schilling plays the most annoying character, a straight man like Alex but less open-minded and open to trying new things. Jason Schwartzman and Judith Godreche are just perfect as the vaguely creepy, weird couple, but their characters are so much more complex than the 'weird hippie swingers' stereotype suggests, which is partly why this is so great.

I love, love, love how smart this movie is. In a lot of ways, it seems like a mainstream comedy, and it provides tons of laughs and broad characterizations that you'd see in a typical comedy. But there's so much more thematic weight and characterization than most comedies. Alex is nervous about how small his penis is, and the comedy genre allows that to be a real character point without taking it too seriously to the point that it's silly. In this movie, the tone is balanced gloriously, with a lot of humor from the comparative sizes of Alex and Kurt's dicks, but a super sympathetic take on Alex's insecurities. How many movies can you describe a crucial part of the main character's arc as "he learns to become comfortable with his dick size"? I hesitate to use the word 'poignant,' but I actually really did feel an emotional connection to Alex's character and his growth in confidence. Another wonderful part of this is Kurt. I can't say enough good things about Jason Schwartzman in this movie, because he gave Kurt so much nuance. He's the weird hippie swinger guy, but his passion and demeanor are honest, not fakey or poser-y. It's a laugh line when he tells Alex, "I am so fucking proud of you right now" after Alex admits his insecurities, but it feels real and actually powerful. To me, anyway.

Adam Scott himself said, "some people act like it's a horror movie, but the monster is sex." The movie itself does seem to support that, at the start; there's a sort of suspense to what this creepy couple is going to do. You see the weirdness escalating, and the slow buildup is almost thrilling. I don't think it's too much of a stretch to say that there are horror elements. I particularly adore the scene when Emily looks through a peephole and watches Charlotte giving a man a handjob while smiling straight at her. It's supremely creepy and hilarious. Judith Godreche should get some recognition for this movie, because she's great at combining the subtle creepiness with insecurity; there's an early sign of her nuance when she's nervous about showing them her breast milk-pumping video.

It's hard to break up a review like this into different distinct points because so many of the strengths of this movie are combined and work together to create this beautiful product. The nuance of Kurt is tied to the overall extreme depth in the movie. In a way, this is the most sexually liberal movie I've ever seen, and I love that about it so much. Even before the movie really escalates, there are nice hints of this. There's Kurt mentioning that maybe it's okay to fantasize about other people, and there's Alex's insecurity about his penis, related to having to make 'circles' in his sex with Emily. Every mention of the 'circles' is funny, but again, it's almost painful because it's a very real insecurity. I love that we're not laughing AT Alex's small penis. I mean, we sort of are, but it's in good fun, it's not malicious. When he eventually does whip it out, we're laughing because he's so happy and confident, not simply because his penis is small.

But then the big stuff happens, in a fantastic third act. Alex and Emily have an argument about fantasizing and desire, and it's both thoughtful and funny, just like the whole movie. Emily reveals that she has fantasies just like him. Then there's the argument with Kurt and Charlotte, who reveal that they've been having serious problems with their love life, and, even more importantly, this is the first time they're trying this. It's so great because suddenly, Kurt and Charlotte aren't the weird swinger couple; they're the couple with marital troubles who are trying something new for the first time because they're desperate for something to help repair their marriage. They're just as new at this as Alex and Emily, even if they experiment more with different kinds of sex between the two of them.

This all leads to the scene that most people are going to remember: when they begin a foursome. This scene is shocking, but it's inevitable, and it's played completely straight. Most of all, it's fucking liberating. Over the course of the movie, Alex has become more confident with his body, and now he's exploring his sexuality. Meanwhile, lest you think that Emily is still in denial about her own desire for adventure from the previous scene, she still speechlessly nods and encourages Alex to go ahead with giving Kurt a handjob, before kissing Charlotte herself.

'Liberating' is probably the most important word in this review, because it encapsulates the whole movie. It's so freeing to watch these people explore their sexualities without judgment, without putting a label on it and saying 'whoa so everyone in the movie is bisexual???' It's so understated and unsentimental and beautiful. As much as the movie made me die laughing, it's that freeing feeling that'll stick with me the most.