Wendy Jo Carlton directs this 2019 U.S. indie film about two women in a stagnating romance who decide to spice things up by engaging in a seemingly lighthearted threesome. Beginning and ending in a ride share with a preternaturally patient driver, the film takes place over the course of one interminable Seattle night in which it becomes increasingly clear that each of the three women is keeping a secret. Extended scenes of languid, boozy flirtation are interspersed with tense, jittery conversation, making for a stilted viewing experience not unlike a David Mamet play. Carlton’s characters speak in sentences that are self-conscious and overly aware, rendering them a little unlikable but instantly identifiable as representations of the awkward, cowardly parts of our own selves when faced with a crumbling relationship. At times giggly, at times cringey, this film initially seems like a rom-com but quickly turns into the anxious, tightly wound reflection on sexuality and self it clearly was meant to be.
Good Kisser
1 hour 15 min • 2019
