Plot
Alex, Emily, and their son, RJ, are new to Los Angeles. A chance meeting at the park introduces them to the mysterious Kurt, Charlotte, and Max. A family "playdate" becomes increasingly interesting as the night goes on.
Release Year: 2015
Rating: 7.0/10 (236 voted)
Critic's Score: 68/100
Director: Patrick Brice
Stars: Adam Scott, Taylor Schilling, Jason Schwartzman
Storyline
Alex, Emily, and their son, RJ, are new to Los Angeles. A chance meeting at the park introduces them to the mysterious Kurt, Charlotte, and Max. A family "playdate" becomes increasingly interesting as the night goes on.
Cast: Adam Scott -
Alex
Taylor Schilling -
Emily
R.J. Hermes -
RJ
Kyle Field -
Wade
Sarah DeVincentis -
Dawn
Sophia Alison -
Birthday Party Guest #1
Ally Anderson -
Birthday Party Guest #2
Nancy Dillon -
Birthday Party Guest #3
Avalon Economon -
Birthday Party Guest #4
Abbie Gill -
Birthday Party Guest #5
Gail Honeystein -
Birthday Party Guest #6
Bit Kernodle -
Birthday Party Guest #7
Bianca Rodriguez -
Birthday Party Guest #8
Frankie Scott -
Birthday Party Guest #9
Asya Vartanian -
Birthday Party Guest #10
Taglines:
pucker up
Country: USA
Language: English
Release Date: 19 June 2015
Filming Locations: Los Angeles, California, USA
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Did You Know?
Trivia:
Filmed in 12 days, as mentioned by Patrick Brice at the San Francisco International Film Festival Q&A. See more »
User Review
Author:
Rating: 5/10
2015 TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL: There's a point during Patrick Brice's
darkly comedic film "The Overnight" where the humor goes from
infectiously enjoyable to awkwardly unnerving. That both works for and
against Brice's storytelling and filmmaking abilities. Through its
strong ensemble that includes Adam Scott, Taylor Schilling, Jason
Schwartzman, and Judith Godrèche, Brice's film touches on the different
encounters and reflections of the average thirty- something. Capturing
traits from films like "Carnage" by Roman Polanski, the laughs are
certainly on display, however the believability and natural character
beats certainly are not.
In a film like this, that heavily relies on its script and quick wit
and humor, Brice, who both writes and directs, relies far too much on
the physical comedic tones rather than focusing on strong characters
with a clearly defined destinations. "The Overnight" tells the story of
Alex (Scott) and Emily (Schilling), two parents who just move to Los
Angeles from Seattle with their son RJ. When they meet Kurt
(Schwartzman) at a park with his son Max, he invites them for a play
date at his house where he lives with his wife Charlotte (Godrèche).
The evening goes as typical before the children are sent to bed and
weird things start happening.
Through silly prosthetics, random sexcapades, and a very blundering,
borderline amateurish orgy scene, "The Overnight" never really gets off
the ground as its intended. Adam Scott relentlessly attempts to bring a
sensitivity to Alex, but Brice's script never fully allows him to
explore something new. Taylor Schilling is the film's real standout.
Infectiously uncomfortable and concerned, Emily feels the most
authentic with comedic timing that lands in every instance. Jason
Schwartzman is as odd as we've ever seen him. As we're use to his
quirky comic ways as seen in "Rushmore" and "I Heart Huckabee's," he
brings Kurt to a dimension that was probably unrealized in its early
inception. When Schwartzman lands, its lands exceptionally well, but
when the character displays unflattering and odd behavior,
Schwartzman's talents can't save him from spiraling downward. And
finally with the sexiness and beauty of Judith Godrèche, there's not
much that can go wrong except that Brice uses her arbitrarily at times
and doesn't allow the Charlotte to explore the more interesting avenues
of herself.
This doesn't all point to the film as a complete failure. The first
half is toxically weird and brings out some of the biggest chuckles.
When the story turns in a completely different direction, all leading
to an unearned ending, it ultimately just lacks clear satisfaction. If
so for the cast and its few bits at dark humor, "The Overnight" can be
a fine watch for the independent film lover.
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