Shithouse

Starring: Cooper Raiff, Dylan Gelula, Amy Landecker, Logan Miller, Olivia Scott Welch, Abby Quinn, Joy Sunday, Tre Hall
Directed by: Cooper Raiff
Rating: R
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
2020

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A lonely college freshman (Cooper Raiff) unexpectedly connects with his sophomore resident assistant (Dylan Gelula) after a party.

Review:

Tim: I was a huge fan of Cooper Raiff's Cha Cha Real Smooth, so I decided to go back and check out his earlier films. His first non-student film was Shithouse. I really enjoyed this movie- it does come from a young and relatively inexperienced director (no offense) and that shows up throughout the film. Still, it's an impressive debut and it suggests Raiff may have a long and successful career ahead of him. This film isn't a polished as Cha Cha Real Smooth, but it shows Raiff's ability to mine human drama for comedy and emotion. It's a movie worth seeing.

The film focuses on a lonely college freshman and it feels somewhat autobiographical. These early scenes have some laughs- college is a ridiculous, unique time in our lives. It's absurd and funny and Raiff is able to pull out these themes for the audience to see. It feels earnest and heartfelt and we're pulled into this character's story. As the film progresses, we see a young man and a young woman on the cusp of adulthood, trying to navigate tricky relationship dynamics, starting to become aware of the different worldviews of others, but ill-equipped to deal with those differences. It certainly reminded me of my own college days, when I was so sure and so unsure about the world and hadn't yet figured out how to navigate through life. People were wonderful and heartbreaking and I didn't know what it all meant, what was truly important, what wasn't. Raiff is able to capture this uncertain time in our lives so well. It's a big reason why I enjoyed the movie so much.

I really love Raiff's acting style, too. This is one of the things that appealed to me in Cha Cha Real Smooth and it's present here, too. He has this natural charisma and appeal, it feels so authentic. It feels like he brings something true about himself into every scene in the film. It's easier if you're playing a fictionalized version of yourself (which I imagine is happening here), but it's still impressive to see. Raiff's comedic timing is excellent and he's not afraid to laugh at himself. That translates into an almost mesmerizing ability to hold our attention on screen. It's impressive. As good as a director as Raiff is, I hope he continues acting as well.

I was less of a fan of Dylan Gelula. She's young, but has been acting for a decade at this point. Her performance felt fine, but a bit uninspired. She did feel authentic, but authentically like one of those people on the margins of your life, the kind of people whom you're aware of, but make only a small impact on you. That might have been okay, but Maggie is supposed to completely change Alex's life in this film. I wasn't quite buying that. Gelula and Raiff work well together, which definitely helps the movie. I do think the film would have benefited from a more charismatic, impactful actress in this role. It was fun seeing Amy Landecker and Olivia Scott Welch in smaller roles. The supporting cast is fine, but this movie is all about Raiff and Gelula.

Throughout the film, Raiff is able to create all these entertaining moments. These might be humorous exchanges (some of the dialogue felt brilliantly written) or it might be engaging sequences of college shenanigans that remind you of your own misadventures, both drunk and sober. Raiff does such a nice job of creating moments that feel believable. It's obvious this is written by a recent college student, not an aging Hollywood writer reaching back through the decades to write college as they vaguely remember it.

I enjoyed Shithouse and I'd definitely recommend it. You don't see many college-set films that feel authentic, understated, and insightful. It's rough around the edges and Raiff hasn't yet come into his own as a director, but it's a promising debut that suggests we all need to keep our eyes on Raiff. His first two features are both impressive in different ways.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Madeline & Cooper, Cha Cha Real Smooth