
Shithouse
3.4
(165)
Comedy
Drama
Romance
2020
102 min
R
Lonely college freshman Alex has closed himself off from his peers, who all appear to have this whole "college thing" figured out. But everything changes one night when Alex takes a leap and attends a party at Shithouse - a legendary party fraternity - where he forges a strong connection with Maggie.
Starring:
Comedy
Drama
Romance
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"This was a cute, screwball dramedy which focuses on Alex and Maggie, who meet at college. Alex is flailing about, feeling disconnected to his peers, and not knowing quite what comes next, in life, his relationships, and with his sense of happiness and fulfillment. He has a sensitive interior, like that of a cuddly teddy bear, and stuffed pet wolf who he charmingly talks to for advice. He feels things deeply, including what he unmistakably feels for Maggie on one fateful night that they spend together. She comes to intrigue him, pulling him in deeper and deeper, but when they wake up the next morning everything is confused. The energy is remarkably off, like a light being switched into darkness, and reality begins to sink its claws perplexingly, undesirably in. Everything magical dims and becomes ugly in plain sight.
This story was impactful, deep, and very lovable. I always seem to be drawn to the work of Cooper Raiff, who also wrote and starred in the ineffably moving “Cha Cha Real Smooth.” His work is quirky with just the right amounts of sweetness to go around and always makes some kind of grander, genuine statement on human nature and how we relate to and love or distance ourselves from each other.
The only things I weren’t sure about in this film were Maggie’s unexplained actions and mood swings. I wish there was more of a build-up and conversation surrounding them and was disappointed that both went noticeably unaddressed. Other than that, though, this film kept me invested within its prolific orbit and drawn like a moth to light to the gentleness of Alex’s character. While this film was warmly earnest, it was also not afraid to be silly and delight in the young aliveness characteristic of its two protagonists and I deeply love and wholly respect it for that! "