Don't Think Twice Movie Review

Don't Think Twice (2016)

Buy Don't Think Twice on Amazon Video
Watch Don't Think Twice on Netflix
Written by: Mike Birbiglia
Directed by: Mike Birbiglia
Starring: Keegan-Michael Key, Gillian Jacobs, Mike Birbiglia, Kate Micucci, Chris Gethard
Rated: R

My rating is simple, Watch It, It Depends, Skip it. Read my previous movie reviews!

Plot
When one of the members of a popular New York City improv troupe gets a huge break, the rest of the group start to realize that they're not all going to make it big.

Verdict
While it seems like comedy, and takes us into the improv world, it's very much a character study. You tell your friend that you're happy for their success but jealousy creeps in. Birbiglia must have experienced this personally as it feels very authentic.
This improv group is still performing in rundown venues. They want to make it big, but when do you give up? We do see a bit of improv, and it's a lot of fun, but it's secondary to the character drama.
Watch it.

Review
This is a great insight into improv and the introduction provides a quick history and the rules of improv in case you aren't familiar. It's very short and puts us on stage quickly. The improv is always entertaining. Having seen their preparation, and knowing the internal strife makes it more compelling. These comedians are always on, always looking for material.

They're a tight knit group, but they all want to be on Weekend Live, a Saturday Night Live stand in. Jack (Keegan-Michael Key) gets an audition and graduates to the big time. While everyone tells Jack how happy they are for him, they're all jealous. Each one of them dreamed of making it to that show.
Miles (Mike Birbiglia) is incredulous. He was Jack's teacher and yet he hasn't made it yet. He likes to recount how he was inches from making it a few years ago, but now he wonders if he should give up. Others in the group draft a writing packet to submit for the show. We delve into their broken dreams and the promise they had when younger.

Each of them faces the question of when do you give up. They've spent their 20's hoping, and now in they're 30's they wonder if it was all in vain. You want to be happy for your friend, but they're is only one slice of pie and everyone wants it. Jack's success is a stark reminder of that.

This is a solid character study that has comedic elements but doesn't' fit into the comedy genre. It's a drama and the characters just happen to be comedians. Birbiglia has really captured something about comedians, life, and people.