Star Rating:

The Overnight

Director: Patrick Brice

Actors: Jason Schwartzman, Judith Godreche, Taylor Schilling

Release Date: Sunday 30th November 2014

Genre(s): Drama

Running time: 79 minutes

Sex comedies, up until lately, have always followed one of two patterns. They'll either do everything in their power to gross you out and turn you off sex. These are your American Pies and your Road Trips. The other is that it's a totally unrealistic setup that takes ages to draw you in, before it turns into a comedy of errors where parties are unaware of what's happening. This is a more rarer type of film.

The Overnight sees Taylor Schilling and Adam Scott, hot from their respective TV shows, playing a married couple who've recently moved to Los Angeles with their son in tow. Schilling's the chief bread-winner whilst Scott is a stay-at-home dad who's slowly losing faith in himself and his marriage. In fact, the opening scene sees the two attempting to have sex before their son bursts in and drops the whole thing down. During a playdate with their son, they meet Kurt, played by Jason Schwarztmann, and his own young son. He's your typical LA hipster, complete with wide-brimmed hat, dark sunglasses and a tweed jacket in the middle of summer. After a brief chit-chat, Kurt invites to them to his palatial home that night to meet his wife, Judith Godreche, and to introduce them to the neighbourhood.

The children soon head to bed whilst the adults get into the booze and bongs, slowly loosening up their inhibitions and begin to share - in some cases, overshare - with one another. Kurt is a talented artist (of actual human assholes) whilst his wife is an 'actress'. We find that Adam Scott's character has a body-image issue whilst Schilling has a longing to express herself sexually that isn't being met. You'd think this would bring up animosity, but the fact they're both drunk and high means their social defences are lowered. Little by little, it becomes clear that they've been brought to the house to take part in something they didn't sign on for initially.

Director Patrick Brice, in his second film, has crafted a very subtle message about sexual politics and manners in the modern age. Like Schilling and Scott, you're seduced and lulled into the warm overtones and friendliness of it all before it takes one or two sharp turns into wilder territory. Yet, you stick with it, watching it all with your hands over your eyes. The comedic moments never feel forced - none of them feels forced or rehearsed. Brice, who wrote as well as directed, has crafted a witty, seductive script that feels all-too-real in places. Schilling and Scott, who are our window, react almost exactly as anyone else would.

It's not going to be everyone's particular bag, but there's a lot to like about The Overnight. Just don't watch it with your parents.