Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Definition Please’ on Netflix, A Warm And Thoughtful Indie From ‘Insecure’ Star Sujata Day

Definition Please is a South Asian-American family drama about estranged siblings who reunite for their father’s death anniversary and rehash old issues. A festival darling and Insecure’s Sujata Day’s feature directorial debut, the film was picked up for distribution with Ava DuVernay’s company ARRAY (similar to Agam Darshi’s Donkeyhead).

DEFINITION PLEASE: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

The Gist: Monica Chowdry (Sujata Day), a former National Spelling Bee champion, seemingly had the world at her fingertips. But instead, she’s still in her small Pennsylvania hometown avoiding making real life choices and helping to care for her sick mother. When her dad’s death anniversary arrives, so does her estranged brother Sonny. The siblings attempt to fall into their old ways but Sonny’s resistance to bipolar medication drives a potentially irrevocable wedge between them.

What Will It Remind You Of?: Of the plethora of indie films about arrested development and sibling quarrels, Definition Please fits squarely among titles like Post Grad and Skeleton Twins.

Performance Worth Watching: Ritesh Rajan as Monica’s bipolar brother is a scene-stealer with his frenetic energy abundant on screen. Sonny is charismatic and extroverted and playful until something triggers him and he’s sent into a tailspin, and Rajan is in full control of the fluctuation. (And, for what it’s worth, he looks good in his tighty whities).

Memorable Dialogue: In a moment of bonding, Monica’s mom adorably refers to her daughter’s mariquana habit as “marinara,” playing up immigrant adult ignorance in a fun way.

Sex and Skin: Monica begins sleeping with an old classmate, but the encounters are never too explicit.

Our Take: A film about complicated family dynamics, Definition Please embodies its indie film roots, following a central character who isn’t quite sure what she’s doing in life. Monica is presented as the family’s genius with frequent flashbacks to her spelling bee champion youth and her elevated vocabulary in everyday language. But her stagnation in adulthood isn’t explored as thoroughly as expected, especially for a character who seemingly had the world as her oyster. While, yes, she’s taken on the role of being her mom’s primary caretaker, it doesn’t completely explain her lack of ambition, which is a very real thing for people who feel like they peaked early. Instead, the film shifts its focus to the tense relationship with her brother who is suffering from bipolar disorder.

Where Definition Please excels is in its portrayal of how an undiagnosed or untreated mental illness can affect everyone around that person, and much of that comes from Ritesh Rajan’s ability to calibrate between his character’s manic and depressive episodes. He’s lovable in a way that draws you in but when he snaps, we immediately see the fallout affecting his immediate family. Day plays off of Rajan nicely, annoyed when he’s flying high and then egging him on later when she feels like she’s changed him irrevocably. Anna Khaja plays their ailing mother Jaya, and save for a somewhat forced accent, she’s also warm and inviting as the matriarch trying to sew up her family’s wounds.

For a film centered on the South Asian diaspora, Day’s script and direction don’t lean too heavily on immigrant tropes and the film is better for it. Monica and Sonny are presented as Americans with an Indian heritage, and while overt Indian customs and music are featured throughout, the story doesn’t revolve around their identities or their culture. Refreshingly, mental health is discussed openly within the Bengali community of the film instead of being treated like a dirty secret—a great step forward for these types of depictions in minority-led films.

Occasionally the film leans on odd choices, like a sudden freeze-frame blue screen with an SAT-level word and its associated definition appearing as though we’re at the Scripps Spelling Bee along with Monica. It’s used as a way to get inside Monica’s head, but ultimately the device doesn’t really add anything to the story or character development. At the end, a reveal about their mother also adds a confusing twist that the film would have been better off without.

Still, the film is a heartwarming story about having hard conversations and setting boundaries even when it hurts. Near the end of its hour and a half runtime, Monica gives Sonny an ultimatum—a rush of pent-up emotions imbue the scene with a tense but familiar quality. She’s putting a line in the sand for her own well-being even though it’s painful, and Sonny threatens the foundation of their relationship in retaliation. This moment is when the film feels the most alive, with people making real choices that can’t be undone, and the energy overflowing in this scene is worth turning the movie on for.

Our Call: STREAM IT. Definition Please is a warm and thoughtful story about caring for your family even when it’s hard.

Radhika Menon (@menonrad) is a TV-obsessed writer based in New York City. Her work has appeared on Paste Magazine, Teen Vogue, Vulture and more. At any given moment, she can ruminate at length over Friday Night Lights, the University of Michigan, and the perfect slice of pizza. You may call her Rad.