The New and Becoming Film "I Used to be Funny"


If you've been searching for that compelling nonlinear movie that will keep you on your toes while still giving you a laugh, I recommend checking out the new Netflix film “I Used to be Funny”. 

The Canadian comedy/drama film, stars Samantha Cowell (Rachel Sennott), who is struggling with her past and present traumas when the girl she used to nanny goes missing. 

Sam, an aspiring stand-up comedian living in Toronto, gets an opportunity through an agency for a nannying job. This is where she meets troubled 12 year old Brooke (Olga Pesta). Brooke’s father, Cameron, spends a lot of the time out working, while her mother is battling a chronic illness and spends most of her time in the hospital. Initially Brooke was totally turned off to the thought of having a nanny at her age, but they grew close very quickly, with Sam eventually playing a ‘supportive sister’ role in Brooke's life. 

Fast forward 2 years to the present day, Sam is no longer doing her stand up comedy shows, and is struggling with PTSD. She is in a complete funk, rarely making it to the shower, while her roommates Philip and Paige cover her half of rent. That is until she hears that Brooke is missing. When she finds this information out, she feels responsible to find her. Painful memories flood back as she gathers all her evidence to take to the police station. 

Sam used to be funny, but not anymore. Why, what happened? 

Along the way we get hints here and there, but it's not until the end of the movie that we find out she was sexually assaulted by Brooke's father Cameron.

Canadian writer and film director, Ally Pankiw, presents Sam’s emotional battles with her trauma, and the social, happier version of herself who is funny through a series of flashbacks. The style of having a fractured timeline presents the information in a way that gives enough to keep me intrigued, while still keeping things a mystery. 

Pankiw took this opportunity to showcase the social issues women face, through a comical lens. This movie is aimed towards various demographics, with the main group being women. This film tries to capture the epitome of being a 20 year old female and getting kicked in the butt by life after dealing with a traumatic situation. 

Down below is a YouTube video of the cast of 'I Used to be Funny" touching on the topic of trauma and turning it into comedy.



With this being a new movie, filmed in 2023, there is a lot of Gen Z humor. The use of Gen Z lingo made this movie very relatable and easily understandable. Her dark and almost self depleting sense of humor and jokes reminded me of the things I hear in my day to day life, and I believe anyone my age would pick up on that as well. Along with the humor, Pankiw decided to use a variety of popular songs in the soundtrack from new and upcoming artists like Phoebe Bridgers. Using recognizable songs like “I know the end” by Phoebe Bridgers adds all the more emotion to the scene, and provides the cultural context, grounding this film in this specific time that we are in.

The film eventually becomes about more than just a stand up comedian who has a troubled charge, but more of conversation of the effect trauma has on personal relationships and somebody’s day to day life. Throughout the film, I was able to get a sense of empathy for both Sam and Brooke, which is always refreshing. Along with that, though the movie was on the topic of sexual assault, it wasn't all just about the situation or the trial, but more so about Sam’s journey and her healing process. 

Overall, this movie does a great job with keeping me intrigued with its fractured timeline, and portrays trauma in a fascinating way that differs from a lot of other films. We get to see Sam’s good and bad days, with a sprinkle of humor here and there to keep the tone of the film more lighthearted. All in all, I would recommend this movie, and I hope you will take a look!



IMDb.com. (n.d.-b). I used to be funny. IMDb. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt16300138/soundtrack/ 

Castillo, M. (2024, June 7). I used to be funny movie review (2024). Roger Ebert. https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/i-used-to-be-funny-movie-review-2024 

Chris. (2024, June 24). I used to be funny explained. Film Colossus. https://filmcolossus.com/i-used-to-be-funny-explained-2023 

YouTube. (2023, March 15). 'I Used to Be Funny’ Cast & Director On Taking On Trauma & Turning It Into Comedy | SXSW 2023. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOwB37If6Ko 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Blog post #1

 Hello everyone! My name is Kate De Leenheer! I was born in Florida, but I moved to Corvallis, Oregon as a kid and have been here ever since. I am passionate about tons of things! Growing up I was always super active, so weather its going to the gym, or taking a walk with my dogs, I make sure to stay as active as I can! I am also very passionate about the people I love and being able to spend quality time with them means the world to me.  Currently I am still a senior in high school at Crescent Valley, but I have made the decision to join a partnership program that allows me to take classes and get credits at LBCC. As we all know, the high school environment can get pretty uninspiring, which strongly influenced my decision to continue my work here at Linn Benton. My plans for after graduation are to continue my education at the University of Oregon, majoring in public relations. My future plans influenced my decision to take a journalism class here at LBCC, not only to learn a...
Read more

Is Apple's "Shot on iPhone" Worth the Hype?

Image
Apple's "Shot on iPhone" campaign has caught the marketing community by surprise, kickstarting new unique methods of advertising. With their strategy of taking user-generated content and using it in their ads, it has generated over 15 million views on YouTube alone, and it has become worldwide, streaming on services like Apple music, Instagram, and various other social media platforms.  Apple's "Shot on iPhone" ad is part of a marketing campaign that promotes the newest iPhone's camera quality. Starting out originally as simply “Shot on iPhone” posted on billboards, it has evolved into various special editions like “Shot on iPhone XR”, or “Shot on iPhone 16” that can now be found on several social media apps. Like most ads it involves a short sequence of images and videos with a quick crop, text overlay, and soundtrack. What sets this campaign aside from others is that these commercials feature media taken by everyday iPhone users, versus staged media ta...
Read more