JOSHY is One of The Saddest Comedies Ever Made - Sundance Review
It's hard to really talk about this movie without giving away a spoiler that happens in the first 10 minutes of the film, so beware of light spoilers ahead. The basic plot of the film follows a guy named Josh, who moves forward with plans for a getaway to reconnect with his friends after a tragic event.
The tragic event involves his fiancé committing suicide, and the plans for the getaway were actually supposed to be for his bachelor party. He couldn't get the money back for their house party rental, so Josh decided to stick with the plan even though it's under strenuous circumstances.
Believe it or not, this movie is a comedy. It stars Thomas Middleditch (Silicon Valley) as Josh and he's joined by Nick Kroll, Alex Ross Perry, Brett Gelman, Alison Brie, Adam Pally, Jake Johnson, Aubrey Plaza, and more.
The party turns into a few nights of crazy ridiculous antics of drinking, drugs, strippers, prostitutes, and more. All along the way, they are trying to avoid playing a Dungeons & Dragons-style role-playing game that one of the guys brought along with them. As the story unfolds we learn more and more about the death of Josh's fiancé and all of the insane drama that surrounds it, but it's essentially a guy hangout movie.
I know this doesn't sound like a comedy, but it is and it's a dark one. However, it is appropriately dramatic when it needs to be. It's one of the saddest comedies you'll ever see. I have to say that Nick Kroll is pretty damn funny in it.
The movie has a weird mixture of elements that never seem to come together, though. The characters are never really fully developed, but it was fun watching the comedic actors play them. It's seems to me like there was probably a lot of improv done while shooting the film
The movie was directed by Jeff Baena, who is the director of the zombie romantic comedy Life After Beth, which I enjoyed. Joshy is his second film, and unfortunately, it's not as good, but it did have some fun and interesting moments. If you're a fan of any of the actors that are in the movie, then it's worth checking out.