Sam (played by Rachel Sennott), undergoes severe PTSD after the girl she used to babysit, Brooke (played by Olga Petsa), goes missing. As the story of this film (directed by Ally Pankiw) unfolds, we understand why Brooke is missing, and why she would’ve wanted to run away from home. We also get a slice of Sam and Brooke, and their extremely complicated relationship that ended up saving them both.
Sam is also a comedian, and she lives with her comedian roommates, Paige (played by Sabrina Jalees) and Philip (played by Caleb Hearon). Some nights, she was out doing gigs at local bars, with most of her jokes aimed at her hatred of men and the extremely patriarchal society. She then happens to pick up a babysitting gig, for a 12-year-old girl named Brooke. As this job continues, she grows a serious bond with Brooke. Pankiw does a great job at developing these characters so that way we, as an audience, connect with them on an even higher level, resulting in a better movie-watching experience.
Director/Writer: Ally Pankiw
Cast: Rachel Sennott, Olga Petsa, Jason Jones, Sabrina Jalees, Caleb Hearon, Ennis Esmer, Dani Kind
Rating: NR
Release Date: 6/7/24 – Limited; 6/18/24 – VOD
This film originally premiered at SXSW in 2023, and I have been eagerly awaiting its release just so I can get the chance to sit down and enjoy the film. After all, the film caught my eye when I was reading about the festival’s lineup back in February of 2023. I was so happy when I saw this film on the upcoming releases for June 2024, as it has seriously felt like forever since I even thought about this film. I’ve been so focused on all the other mediocre releases this summer movie season. But anyway, just as I thought it would be, I Used To Be Funny is a heartwarming and heartbreaking exploration of PTSD and what that actually does to a person.
However, I did find a few issues with the film. First, I had a tough time figuring out what was a flashback and what was happening in the current moment, and since I always want to make sure I’m not just misunderstanding the filmmaking style, this could’ve been a nod to how PTSD feels like it takes over your whole life, even the present moment. It’s really possible the whole filmmaking style was referencing something bigger than the movie itself. If it was doing that, it would make the movie so much more powerful in its storytelling.
There’s a scene at the end of this movie that is worth watching the entire film for anyway, but I really do feel like this movie is completely worth a watch. By the end of the film, I was so emotionally connected to these characters just because of the way the development went so deep with all of them. As we uncover more about the past, we also explore these characters’ deepest darkest emotions. If this film is not playing at a theater near you when it releases limitedly this weekend, I highly urge you to rent and watch this movie at home after its home premiere.
I Used To Be Funny is a charming and heartbreaking story of PTSD with a few flaws, but nothing to take away from its shine.
Wyatt’s Takes 