David Schwimmer Is a Miserable, Pill-Popping Screenwriter in the Trailer for JUNK
Mubi has released a trailer for Junk, a dark slacker comedy starring David Schwimmer, Winona Ryder, and Jena Malone that takes viewers on a drug-fueled trip through the streets of Los Angeles, where everyone seems to be having a pretty miserable time.
The film originally premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival under the title Little Death, where it received some seriously brutal reviews. Now, more than two years later, it's getting another shot at finding an audience with a new title and a streaming release.
I actually saw the film, but have no recolection of it. I had to go back and re-read my review to remember it. I was conflicted with it as I apparenctly enjoyed the first half, but didn’t care for the second half.
The story follows two separate groups of characters stumbling through life in LA. Schwimmer plays a bitter, pill-addicted screenwriter struggling with writer's block and his own personal frustrations. Meanwhile, two young drifters find themselves wandering the city at night with a lost dog, searching for a stolen car and a missing backpack.
Their stories eventually intersect in a strange, messy adventure involving addiction, anxiety, and people desperately trying to figure out what they're doing with their lives.
The film also stars Dominic Fike, Talia Ryder, and Gaby Hoffmann, bringing together an interesting cast for what looks like a pretty bizarre comedy.
The official synopsis reads: "A middle-aged filmmaker on the verge of a breakthrough. Two kids in search of a lost backpack. A small dog a long way from home.
“It's nighttime in Los Angeles: a pill-addled screenwriter struggles with writer’s block; across town, two young drifters with a lost dog search for their stolen car. Scrappy, gritty and darkly funny, Junk is a slacker odyssey about two generations caught somewhere between apathy, anxiety and the search for meaning."
The trailer gives audiences a taste of the film's offbeat humor, including this amusing complaint about modern moviegoers: "When we were young, we used to go to double features! Now, these drug-addled Gen-Zers cant even sit through one whole film."
Junk marks the feature directorial debut of Jack Begert, who previously worked on short films and music videos. Begert co-wrote the screenplay with Dani Goffstein, and Darren Aronofsky serves as a producer.
The movie had a rough reception at Sundance, with some critics ranking it among the festival's worst offerings that year. Whether the new title will help it escape that reputation remains to be seen, but the cast and strange premise might be enough to get some curious movie fans to give it a chance.
Personally, I'm curious to see how this odd collection of characters and their stories come together. It certainly looks like an unconventional ride through LA's seedier side.
Junk will begin streaming on Mubi on October 23, 2026.