SOMEBODY I USED TO KNOW

(director/writer: Dave Franco; screenwriter: Alison Brie; cinematographer: Brian Lannin; editor: Ernie Gilbert; music: Danny Bensi/Saunder Juriaans; cast: Alison Brie (Ally), Jay Ellis  (Sean), Kiersey Clemons (Cassidy), Amy Sedaris (Deedee), Olga Merediz (‘JoJo’), Haley Joel Osment (Jeremy), Danny Pudi (Benny), Julie Hagerty (Libby); Runtime: 106; MPAA Rating: R; producers: Marty Bowen/Wyck Godfrey/Michael Heimier/Leigh Kitlay/Isaac Klausner/Ben Stillman; Amazon Prime Video; 2023)

“The Brie character is not a likeable or interesting one.”

Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz

Dave Franco (“The Rental”) directs and is co-writer with the film’s star and his real-life wife Alison Brie, in this minor, raunchy rom/com about reconciling your past.

Alison Brie plays Ally, a reality television producer in Hollywood who abandoned her visions of making serious documentaries to make silly ones. When her show gets cancelled, she gets a reality check and decides to return to visit her mom (Julie Hagerty) in her small hometown of Leavenworth, Washington, to rethink things.

She meets up again with her ex-lover Sean (Jay Ellis), the nice local guy she was engaged to but walked out on 10 years ago. He’s about to marry Cassidy (Kiersey Clemons), a cool musician. It seems Ally still has this thing for Sean and tries to get back together with him. But when she gets to know the free-spirit Cassidy, she likes her as she reminds her of how she was at that age.

Problem is the Brie character is not a likeable or interesting one, which made it a chore for me to get involved with the film. She’s characterized as friendless and a workaholic.

REVIEWED ON 2/19/2023  GRADE: C+