Movies

Awkward family drama is alive and well in exclusive Shiva Baby trailer

By

Published on February 18, 2021 11:00AM EST

Family gatherings can be awkward even in the best of situations — let alone when juggling an ex-girlfriend, a secret sugar daddy, and a slew of overly inquisitive relatives, all under one roof.

EW has the exclusive first trailer and poster for Shiva Baby, Emma Seligman's sharp comedy about one extremely uncomfortable Jewish funeral service. The 2020 South by Southwest breakout is Seligman's first feature film, adapted from her short of the same name, and it stars Rachel Sennott as Danielle, a college student attending a family shiva with her parents.

Directionless and on the verge of graduating, Danielle arrives with her parents (Polly Draper and Fred Melamed), only to find herself peppered with questions about her bisexuality, her appearance, and her post-college career plans. To make things worse, she soon finds herself face to face with her ex Maya (Booksmart's Molly Gordon) and her current sugar daddy Max (Danny Deferrari) — who's attending with his wife (Dianna Agron) and their new baby.

"Shiva Baby is about the exhilaration, insecurities, confusion, and horror that accompany young female sexuality and the realization that your sexual power isn't as far-reaching as you may hope it to be," Seligman said in a statement. "I think many young women feel the contradictory pressures to seek future husbands and stable careers while somehow also being independent and sexually empowered. I wanted to showcase the emotional roller coaster these pressures can create and give young women a chance to feel seen, alongside being entertained."

Shiva Baby debuts in select theaters and on VOD on April 2. Check out the trailer above, and get an exclusive look at the film's poster below.