Don't Think Twice

     Don’t Think Twice, starring Keegan-Michael Key, Mike Birbiglia, Gillian Jacobs, Kate Micucci, Tami Sagher, and Chris Gethard and written and directed by Mike Birbiglia, tells the story of a comedy improv troop living in New York City. When one of them makes it big on a Saturday Night Live type show, the others must learn to live with seeing one of their make it big well they themselves still strive for a big break.

     The biggest strength of this movie lies with the ensemble cast of aspiring improv actors. Each one is at a different stage in their careers and helps to shine a different light on the lives of those in the amateur comedy world. As Jack (Key) begins his rise to fame, the others must confront their own failings and shortcomings which helps to drive the action of the movie. There are no weaknesses on display shown by any of the actors or actresses and each one is given their moment to shine. And the ending of the movie is not what you might expect but is most certainly earned and

     The setting of the movie lends to a grittiness that I greatly appreciated. As a fan of sketch shows such as Saturday Night Live, it was interesting to see what presumably happens behind the scenes. This movie could have come off as feeling incredibly fake or cheesy but Birbiglia helps to ground it and bring real emotion to the story, presumably because he often draws on his own life experience to tell the stories. His directorial debut, Sleepwalk with Me, gained much critical praise and I hope to view it in the near future.

     One of my only real problems with the movie was the mindset that I came into it with. Viewing it as a comedy hurts the movie because a lot of the best jokes are shown in the trailer (which I fortunately waited to watch until after the movie). But walking into the movie with the mindset that you are watching a drama with comedic beats would almost certainly have enhanced my viewing experience. Also, as with nearly every comedy, a few of the jokes fall flat but fortunately that happens few and far between. My last minor complaint comes with Birbiglia himself. I felt like his character said some things that felt out of character in favor of pushing ahead the plot of the story.

     But don’t think that these minor complaints should hold you back from seeing Don’t Think Twice. It will make you laugh, cry, and most importantly think, something I feel happens far too little nowadays.

When should you see it?

Wait a Week