Ingrid Goes West, 2017.
Directed by Matt Spicer.
Starring Aubrey Plaza, Elizabeth Olsen, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Ezra Jackson and Billy Magnussen.
SYNOPSIS:
When her mother dies, Ingrid packs her inheritance into her rucksack and heads for California in search of social media star, Taylor Sloane. Inveigling herself into her idol’s life, she believes the two have become friends, but Taylor’s sunshine lifestyle isn’t all it seems.
It’s a photograph of avocado on toast. Or a cute kitten. Or a blazing sunset. It doesn’t matter what it shows because, if it’s on Instagram, Ingrid (Aubrey Plaza) will “like” it. Not much of an accolade, then, but there’s something more sinister lurking underneath in Ingrid Goes West. She doesn’t understand personal boundaries or the difference between a genuine friend and an internet one. And that, in the hands of writer/director Matt Spicer, turns her into that 21st century social media nightmare. A stalker.
Not that this is the latest addition to 2017’s glut of superior horror films. This is a satire on social media, a razor-sharp comedy and also something of a morality tale for millennials. Its target – and sometimes the humour is very dark indeed – is the cult of social media and its so-called stars. And it’s held together by some really smart comedy performances.
In this online world, it’s extraordinarily easy to become an insta-celeb, but the results are horribly superficial and shallow. Forget the realities of everyday life, the fact that everybody has bad days. All they ever show are photographs of their apparently perfect lives: they’re having a permanently wonderful time, everybody’s smiling, the food is wonderful, their homes are beautiful ….. and Ingrid can’t draw the line between image and reality. All she knows is that she wants that sun-drenched, pore perfect life for herself, because it’s more glamorous and exciting than her own. Her target is Taylor Sloane (Elizabeth Olsen), with her bo-ho chic and love for avocado on toast, and she manages to find a way into her life, although there’s always the possibility of being found out for what she is. It’s literally a click away.
There’s little that gets past Spicer’s eagle eye when it comes to social media. Ingrid falls asleep with her phone in her hand, so there’s no chance of missing a message. And when she types one, she goes through a number of different versions before sending the one that captures the tone she’s looking for. Let’s face it, we’ve all done it! But she’s not the only one with an obsession. Her likeable landlord Dan (O’Shea Jackson Jnr) is a Bat Fan par excellence: he has all the merchandise, the movies, the quotes, everything. And, as it turns out, he’s not the only one who idolises The Caped Crusader.
But the film is all about the Ingrid/Taylor double act, with Plaza and Olsen both perfectly cast. Olsen creates a featherweight, superficial Taylor while Plaza is especially good as the needy and somewhat unsettling Ingrid who, ironically, is the character on-screen most in touch with reality. The laughs are constantly pin-point sharp, but that serious thread running throughout the story never quite goes away. And that makes it all the more disappointing that the conclusion is a weak one, approaching something of a cop-out.
While this year has been a good one for horror, comedy isn’t far behind, with the likes of Logan Lucky and The Big Sick. With its sharp observation and whip-smart lines, Ingrid Goes West is more than worthy of keeping them company, hitting the target smack on the nose every time. It’s one of the best comedies of 2017
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★
SEE ALSO: Watch our exclusive interview with Ingrid Goes West director Matt Spicer here
Freda Cooper. Follow me on Twitter.
Originally published November 15, 2017. Updated April 18, 2018.
