When two friends accept an invitation to see the new couch of an up-and-coming comedian/actor, it turns into an evening of heavy drinking and idiosyncratic self-expression. Kailee McGee directs “The Idea of a You,” a self-referential portrait of the lives and romantic inclinations of three L.A. artists / filmmakers / actors. The trio find themselves in moments of plateau, having reached some level of success or notoriety but grasping for what’s next. As Kailee, the filmmaker, and Kate, the actor, tour the new apartment of Whitmer, the comedian, the night becomes a playground of attention-seeking, lusting, fantasy and catharsis, which toggles in tone between silly and melancholic, meta and earnest, “elevated” and playful. It’s a showcase for its three performers, each NoBudge regulars, Whitmer Thomas, Anna Cordell, and Kate Adams. And a solid addition to the filmography of McGee — whom we’ve featured previously with “#blessed” (2015), “The Person I Am When No One is Looking” (2019) and “Kate, Unhinged” (2020) — who continues her exploration of identity and performance and crafts another rousing dance sequence, one of her signature moves. -KA. Director, writer: Kailee McGee. Starring Kate Adams, Anna Cordell, Whitmer Thomas. Producer, editor: Rich Costales. Executive Producer: Adam Lisagor. Director of Photography: Connor Heck. Production Designer: Rose Curry. Original Music by Dresage. Choreography by Maritza Navarro.
Two undergraduates discuss the status of their relationship and their sexual experiences. Jinho Myung directs “The Pressure of Sweetness,” a spontaneous conversation that accurately reflects the nascent modes of expression between two young adults evaluating a fling. While hanging out one day, th...
On a weekend getaway to a family home, two old friends bicker, gossip, and search for trouble in town. Katie Colosimo directs “Something You’ve Never Told Me,” a sharp-tongued comedy about complicated relationships, underlying tensions, and “selfish energy.” At her aunt’s vacation house, Eliza in...
A man returns a letter meant for his neighbor but it’s not what it seems. In this satire by Johnny Frohman and Jeremy Levick, the topics of pandemic masking and modes of shaming are explored in prickly fashion. Wearing a bright yellow vest and double-masked, a man turns up at a woman’s door and s...
