Comedy

I Used to Be Funny

ComedyDramaMystery

Sam, a stand-up comedian struggling with PTSD, weighs whether or not to join the search for a missing teenage girl she used to nanny.

Year

2024

Duration

1h 45m

IMDb

6.4

Trailer

Cast

Ally Pankiw

Director

Rachel Sennott

Sam Cowell

Olga Petsa

Brooke Renner

JJ

Jason Jones

Cameron Renner

Sabrina Jalees

Paige

Caleb Hearon

Philip

Ennis Esmer

Noah

Dani Kind

Jill

Hoodo Hersi

Zara

Dan Beirne

Tim

Stephen Alexander

Nathan

Miguel Rivas

Officer Conrad Lawrence

Marvin Kaye

Officer Jim Gerrard

Paloma Nuñez

Female Defense Lawyer

Kathy Imrie

Judge Mathers

Janice Mendes

Female Police Officer

Matia Jackett

Candace

Daniel Woodrow

Waiter

D.J. Mausner

School Receptionist

Ally Pankiw

Writer

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Comments

10 comments

PradeepthenextNov 24, 2024

Definitely a "new gen" kind of rythm movie. It has that type of comedy that you only get if you are familiarized with topics like feminism, drugs and family issues, which at the end is the center of the movie, where by the way, Rachel Sennott plays a wonderful acting. Personally, I found the plot very touching and moving with the resource of flashbacks, elevating the interest for the story, the characters and their personal burdens. Overall a beautiful film, with two beautiful performances by Rachel Sennott and Olga Petsa. Although I would say this is not a comedy film, just have some touches of it.

Khawla ElhamiNov 24, 2024

I find the back and forth between past and present extremely unnecessary. It tries so hard to be 'mysterious' with its story telling but it ended up being excruciatingly cheesy and predictable. It's not as groundbreaking and profound as it think it did. Although there are some funny moments, there's a significant imbalance between the poignant drama and the comedy. It fails to smoothly blend the two, and ended up being awkward and sometimes cringe. I'm a massive fan of Sennott, and unfortunately her alone cannot carry the whole film. Ironically the only funny character, among dozens of stand up comedians.

مولات الخضرة 🥗🥬🥦🍇🍎🌶🔥Nov 24, 2024

Ally Pankiw's feature debut "I Used to be Funny" competently explores fragile experiences of depression and PSTD, recovering from assault, and child endangerment with a tame dose of fragile drama, sprinkled with witty humour. Pankiw's choice to present the story through sequencing between Sam's mission to find a missing Brooke, the young girl she nannied, and frequent flashbacks of memories of the two's once-close bond. While the concept of a non-linear narrative is meant to efficiently expand the dynamics and pasts of the characters and their journeys, which it technically achieves for the majority of the film. The beginning of this sequence felt static as the vague nature that shrouded the connection between Sam, her trauma, and her past with Brooke, overstayed its welcome in the first third of the story. However, the pace thankfully accelerates once the first clues of Brooke's disappearance are uncovered. Some elements of the film at times, lean too hard into melodrama that lacks actual substance, especially in the vague and unmoving first third of the film. Cuts to some flashbacks that felt somewhat cliche a script that at times felt too expository, and perhaps two-too-many Phoebe Bridgers needle drops; tools that ask the audience to engage with the characters and the mysterious tragedy that haunts them. These elements may have been appropriate in the context of a television episode, considering Pankiw's background in TV direction, but unfortunately fell flat within a full-length feature film. Amidst these faults, one of the film's greatest strengths is its talented cast. Rachel Sennott's has not only cemented herself as a star of off-beat and relatable comedy but also demonstrated a striking capacity for performances filled with intense vulnerability, harmoniously embodying all relevant elements of the tragicomedy genre. Her ability to foster chemistry with the rest of the cast only adds further dimension to the sorrow and humor that defines her character's journey. Overall, I Used to Be Funny poses an intimate image of how trauma can take control of our lives and sense of self-worth. While bleak, the potential for healing is also presented as the empathetic and hopeful conclusion to Sam and Brooke's journey. While the film's approach at times lacks the ingenuity and impact it clearly intended to bring, it remains that Pankiw's strength lies in how she stays firm with the difficult themes and issues she addresses.

user366274153422Nov 24, 2024

Comedy is inherent in calling on personal experiences for a joke. Humor is a defense mechanism and a willing tool to break the ice and even recover. Comedy is healing and is used significantly in the film I Used To Be Funny. In a somewhat dark comedy set against the backdrop of the #MeToo era, the film stars Rachel Sennott as a struggling comic battling PTSD who takes part in a search for a missing girl she used to nanny. The film tackles heavy subject matter with airy deftness, and what ties it together is Sennott's arresting performance. In an edgy and humorous film, I Used To Be Funny takes center stage as one of the year's best. Full review @ Geek Vibes Network.

Namrata SharmaNov 24, 2024

Powerful message and subject in this movie but the journey its a little tiresome, there is no real history here, its a basic movie, the protagonist is amazing but the rest of the cast are not very good in this, they are rookies I guess, they are not the best actors in here tbh, the way the story is told is kinda of make no sense just like this review, it's convoluted and not easy to follow but maybe im slow i don't know, the protagonist is a very funny stand up comedy artist and she is fighting some demons in this movie, and that's a very interesting thing to follow but the way its told through flashbacks it wasn't really neccesary, its hard to understand ok guys.

DivyaNov 24, 2024

Rachel Sennott first came on my radar when Shiva Baby was released. I loved her in that, and have followed her work since then. I think that she brings a certain charm and personality to any role she has, and this movie was no different. I will start off by saying that unlike her previous works, this one did not rely heavily on comedy, hardly at all. It is a total drama and it is heartbreaking. I saw one review on here say that it is "a chore to get through", which it kind of is, but the material and content of the story needs the viewer to be uncomfortable in order for the movie to accomplish its goal. I highly recommend!

Siwat ChotchaicharinNov 24, 2024

Still a very enjoyable movie seen the limited budget that it was made with. The movie starts slow at the beginning but then picks up pace. Sam (Rachel Sennott) looks like one of those stand up comedians you meet once in a while in a stand up comedian club of which you wonder afterwards how they are doing because you never see them again in that same stand up comedy bar. At some point you wonder whether they moved on to something new or if they moved to another stand up comedy bar which you aren't visiting and getting better reviews for their work or that they might end up suddenly in some movie which you just happen to view on a rainy day. I guess that is what the movie is really about.

Henry DesaguNov 24, 2024

I found the description of this movie to be deceptive. The story is about a former comedian where something happened that derailed her life. The description says PSTD but what this trauma event is it not immediately revealed. The movie spends the three quarters of the time dancing around something having happened. The dialog tries to be hip about teenage topics but it is mostly just cringe. No cap. Much of the story is told as flash backs interweaved into the present so such it's never really clear when anything is occurring until several beats into a scene. I found this all irritating and bad story telling. The movie eludes to what may have happened and while it's possible to guess, it's makes it all the worse that they don't just say it. Everyone in the movie knows what happened but we are left out of being shared the details. Conversations about the event happen over and over to the point of becoming fraying, like an inside joke that no one will explain to you until you start to wonder if the pay off will be worth it. It won't. This fake tension is bad story telling. There is a missing child and the description creates a narrative that this is a big part of the movie but it's simply not. Our main character spends most of the movie unconcerned about the child's whereabouts. Its only purpose is to provide an ending to an otherwise meandering mess of a movie.

Mégane proNov 24, 2024

Thankfully I tend to go to the movies and just pick anything, as long as it's not a trash action film. This was one of those picks. I did have expectations but they were quite low because 1-I didn't know what the movie was about and 2-I don't quite care for the Sam (I can't remember her name) actress (yet). This is only the second movie I see with them as the lead and was fully ready to just be blah by this movie too (shiva baby). This actress is just a smidge more emotionally capable slight range in speech and facial expression than Kristen S. I like dry actors but this ever so slight expression unsettles me a bit (i dont know why:). Anywho enough about that this movie starts out slow and not knowing what will happen or what the movie was about really helped stay focus. If I had known what the movie was about before hand I'd say this was boring but it really wasn't. Well it wasn't that boring it could have used better comedic lines. It picks up once you learn the father's occupation and sadly from that instant you know something horrid happened. I really wished they wouldn't show it but went on with the vagueness that explained but it wasn't to anxiety stricken that one couldn't bare it. It was needed, especially for the folk that probably wouldn't have guessed correctly. Overall stop reading people's thoughts on something or watching ad trailers before watching a movie. It helps to know a rough premise and that's that.

Christ ActivistNov 24, 2024

I used to value my time, but then for some reason I found myself watching this. I would like to get back to valuing my own time... Clearly this is movie not aimed at me, but non the less I found the performances poor, the script cringe-inducing and story line boring and meandering. If I were to recommend this to anyone it would only be to north Americans aged between 14 and 21. Fortunately I do not know anyone in that demographic, so am unable to recommend it at all. If I were to recommend this to anyone it would only be to north Americans aged between 14 and 21. Fortunately I do not know anyone in that demographic, so am unable to recommend it at all.