[yasr_overall_rating]
A home-for-the-holidays murder-mystery comedy – former high-school hero Billy comes back to his hometown expecting things to be like they used to. Instead, he finds all his friends have moved on, and his ex, Kara, is dating the former high school outcast Lowell. So, Billy becomes obsessed with proving the outcast is actually the killer behind a mysterious local death. It’s like “Rear Window” – for stoners.
This crossover mystery/comedy stars Adam Pally as Billy, the once cool high school kid, now living a miserable life working as a waiter in Las Vegas. Billy returns to his New Jersey home for the holidays and is happy to keep up the false image that he is very successful with work and women. After reuniting with various classmates at a bar, we are introduced to a former flame, Kara (Rachel Bloom), now dating Lowell (Vincent Kartheiser), his former rival. After a drunken night and some odd behavior from Lowell, Billy suspects that he might be a murderer.
I’m a fan of Adam Pally and Vincent Kartheiser and the movie has some funny moments but overall it’s a premise that could’ve been covered in a short sketch or television episode. I love the setting being on the east coast and showing a diverse group of high school friends that is pretty accurate and not forced.
The directing, at times, is very impressive for a comedy. I’ve seen some well-shot comedies but most usually don’t have a visual flair to them. The opening has a fantastic long take that is reminiscent of Robert Altman or Paul Thomas Anderson’s great underwater pool shot in “Boogie Nights.” I like the cast and setting but the story didn’t make me laugh as much as I would’ve liked.
Now available on Digital & On Demand
