Stream It Or Skip It: ‘There There’ on Hulu, A Talky Compendium of Short Scenes with a Clever Visual Trick

“To me the most beguiling aspects of human behavior,” posited filmmaker Andrew Bujalski in a 2010 lecture, “emerge not when the stakes are at their highest […] but when the stakes are unclear.” He goes on to suggest there is “a wealth of untold stories in those little choices,” and in his latest feature There There, he examines at least a handful of those. This conversational delight finds unexpected revelations about our humanity by making the most of its smallness and the limitations that come with.

THERE THERE: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

The Gist: If someone asked you to provide the “gist” of a surprisingly existential conversation you shared with someone you only partially know, how well would you do? This is not a movie where plot happens, and yet at the end of every scene, you feel there’s been a clear arc where the characters and the scenario have both changed. Whether it’s negotiating collegial, sexual, professional, or other interpersonal matters, the dialogue is always crisp with an ear for naturalism. Taken together, it’s not so much a statement on anything but begging the question of when we aren’t just talking to ourselves when we talk about love.

What Movies Will It Remind You Of?: If you’ve heard the name Andrew Bujalski, then you probably know the “mumblecore” movement with which he’s often associated. That’s not entirely off the mark for what to expect in There There, but the film has a spiritual kinship with early Richard Linklater movies. In particular, the film’s baton-passing of scenes between characters recalls the daisy-chain structure of Linklater’s Slacker.

Performance Worth Watching: This is a true ensemble piece, but if there’s one standout in her scenes, it’s Molly Gordon. She’s the youngest of the bunch, but the Booksmart and Shiva Baby supporting cast standout holds her own – especially in a scene where the tables turn on her during a parent-teacher conference … only to turn them back by the end.

Memorable Dialogue: “We need each other. You know that!” says Annie La Ganga’s AA sponsor with a moment of hardscrabble wisdom. “We can’t do it alone.”

Sex and Skin: Sex is underlining just about everything in the film – There There opens on a post-coital conversation and includes an entire discussion centered around a piece of revenge porn in a high-school classroom. But in terms of actual consummation, there is no – ahem – there there.

Our Take: OK, here’s where it becomes unavoidable not to talk about the ingenious technical gambit of Andrew Bujalski, even if he’d rather you not know. None of the actors in There There sharing a scene are actually sharing a room. The entire thing is stitched together as a series of ingenious self-tapes directed by Bujalski, who made the most of filming limitations imposed by filming during the pandemic. (It’s worth a look to see just how he pulled this off.) He’s made the ultimate COVID movie in many ways as it shows how people can be connected virtually even when separated physically – and asking which is the prevailing distance.

It’s easy enough not to notice it because the conversations flow so effortlessly, yet not having a single two-shot does eventually start to gnaw away at your sense that something is ever so slightly off here. The wizardry is always engaging if you catch on (and now you have no excuse), even if some of the scenes start to lose their bite by the end. That’s the nice thing about an episodic film, though, wait a bit and you’ll be onto the next.

Our Call: STREAM IT! There There makes the most of the filmmaking challenges presented by COVID to present a unique glance at human relations. Its gentle yet abrasive approach to what people say – and leave unsaid – proves quietly revelatory. Lying within the mundanity is something marvelous indeed.

Marshall Shaffer is a New York-based freelance film journalist. In addition to Decider, his work has also appeared on Slashfilm, Slant, The Playlist and many other outlets. Some day soon, everyone will realize how right he is about Spring Breakers.

Watch There There on Hulu