Brace Yourself: All Your Favorite Comedic Actors Will Make You Cry In ‘Joshy’

Just the title, Joshy, makes this new film sound kind of harmless. There’s something innocent and carefree to the name. If only it were that simple. The movie is available this weekend in theaters and on VOD, after making its mark on the Sundance Film Festival at the beginning of the year. The story follows Joshy (Thomas Middleditch), who decides to go through with a boys’ weekend at a house in Ojai, CA that was originally rented for his bachelor party. But the wedding is off, so it’s no longer a bachelor party. It’s just guys hanging out. Or, it’s supposed to be.
Joshy’s friends include Eric (Nick Kroll) and Ari (Adam Pally), as well as Greg (Brett Gelman) and Jodi (Jenny Slate), who are added to the group as the weekend getaway progresses, or crumbles, really. Director Alex Ross Perry, known for directing films such as Listen Up Philip and Queen of Earth, steps in front of the camera for a performance that immediately presents Michael Cera with a rival for upcoming roles.
The film keeps you invested the entire time, and also keeps you wondering exactly what you’re witnessing. Is this film supposed to be funny, is it supposed to be emotional, and, as the characters are thinking as well, what are we even doing here? The point of the story soon becomes clear, but the same can not be same for the genre — and that’s intentional. Joshy director Jeff Baena, who previously co-wrote I Heart Huckabees and directed Life After Beth, explained: “I generally don’t think of things as within the framework of a genre, and more as an overall experience, so it probably makes it a little more muddy when you’re trying to discern which is which. I don’t even think of it as a comedy. People say it’s a dark comedy, which I think is sort of a big term. I think of it as a drama that has a lot of funny moments because there’s a lot of funny people reacting to things, and also avoiding the drama in the movie. It’s as if the movie itself is similar to the way the characters are trying to avoid confrontation and articulation of their emotions. It’s also trying to steer clear of becoming a drama at all times and then it kind of goes off the road a little bit and goes into a ditch and then comes back and rights itself. You can sense that the movie itself is trying to avoid being too serious but it can’t avoid it for too long until it catches up.”

Joshy was shot off of a treatment, more of a detailed outline, than a script. Baena adds that, “All in all, I think it was 18 pages long, and it sort of specified all the beats that would happen within the scene without specifying the dialogue. We would get the DP together and we would just talk it out, discuss the blocking. Not really perform it, not really rehearse it, just more discuss what was happening. And then the actors would go off and get their makeup and wardrobe and then we would light it and then they would come back. We were basically still in rehearsals, so pretty much the first three or four takes we were finding the scene, we’d make adjustments. Once we found it, we’d replicate it over and over again. We only had one camera, so we’d start off with a wider shot and then come in and get everyone’s coverage.”

This is where having a group of comedians, almost all of which previous knew and had worked with each other, really helped the movie come together, as the entire project was shot in just under a month. Asked if there was ever any consideration of more dramatic actors for the film, Baena says, “No, it was always intentional to have people with comedic backgrounds. I’m always drawn to actors that can do both comedy and drama. For me, I feel like you can always get a dramatic performance out of a comedic actor, but not vice-versa. Since the tone vacillates between those, it was sort of essential to find people who can handle the comedy.”

And this group can handle the comedy. In fact, many viewers might be surprised to see such emotional performances in Joshy, but Baena knew what he had on his hands. “I know all these people to some extent, some more than others, but they all are just real people. A lot of them get pigeonholed to really broad comedy, and they have such tremendous abilities. It’s not like this was a showcase to demonstrate their abilities, but to me it feels like people are sort of squandering the potential for some of these people because they’re so incredible. As long as I’m working, I’m always seeking people who can do that. John C. Reilly, Molly Shannon, Aubrey Plaza, people who have that ability to play both worlds at the same time without feeling like they’re typecast or they’re in a genre. For me, all the comedy in Joshy is generated in the world as opposed to from the experience. If they’re making jokes, people are laughing in the movie, or if they say something kind of awkward, it’s still as awkward within the movie. We’re not condescending towards the characters, we’re experiencing it with them. We’re on their level as opposed to judging them. I think actors who are able to not just go for the jokes but find the vulnerable, human moments – I’m always attracted to those people.”
Before the movie is even over, you’ll be looking at these actors in a whole new light. Slate is as sweet as ever, Gelman and Kroll are given the chance to show both their softer sides and a lot of range, and Middleditch wonderfully capitalizes on what makes Richard Hendricks work on Silicon Valley, while also demonstrating the depths of his acting ability, especially in one dramatically touching scene. Pally continues to prove what a fantastic leading man he can be, while Perry is sure to impress audiences. Baena admits Perry is, “Not too unlike that in real life. From hanging out and playing Scrabble with him, I knew as long as I could keep him focused and not nervous and not self-aware, it would be a dream.” Indeed it is, and his directing skills can probably be credited with his on-screen performance. Is directing and running the show behind the scenes perhaps the best way to prepare for being an actor? “Directors understand the process,” Baena agreed. “Some actors can be a little myopic, and focusing on the trees for the forest, and then you have directors who definitely see the forest for the trees as well. So it always helps to have that aiding you – a bit of shorthand directors have with each other, describing what they mean in the scene, so that’s always helpful. There’s almost a little objectivity that I think goes a long way, working with directors. I find it really helpful.” Perry is not the only director appearing in Joshy: Joe Swanberg, Kris Swanberg, Frankie Shaw and Paul Weitz are all part of the film as well.
Joshy is entertaining and surprising in both really jarring and lovely ways. It’s a movie that will make you think about every kind of love possible: in romantic relationships, in friendships, and in families. By the end of it you’ll feel that type exhausted fulfillment that comes with spending a handful of days with the people you’re closest with…and maybe a couple of randoms, too. You can watch this movie from the comfort of your own couch, while still getting that feeling that creeps up when you return home after a trip — like you feel different, you’ve seen something new, and something has changed. Embrace it.
[Where to stream Joshy]