Ingrid Goes West
Starring: Aubrey Plaza, Elizabeth Olsen, O'Shea Jackson Jr.
Directed by: Matt Spicer
Rated: R
Like it or not, social media dominates way too much of our time. One of the primary time wasters is Instagram. An amazing app where we can scroll through curated photos of other people having a perfect day then compare it to how our day is going! Isn't it amazing? When the time comes we can take a moment from our day, put a filter on it and spend way too much time thinking up a clever caption! #nofilter.
Ingrid Goes West is a dark social commentary taking aim at our usage of Instagram. Ingrid (Aubrey Plaza) is a socially inept woman who makes social connections through Instagram. After a humiliating incident at a friend's wedding, she begins stalking Taylor Sloane, a social media influencer who she finds through the app. Soon she moves to California so she can become friends with Sloane outside of Instagram.
Aubrey Plaza delivers some of the best acting I've ever seen from her as Ingrid. At times the audience can't stand the character and at times we feel sympathy for her. Then there are times it's just difficult to watch her interact with the other characters. Ingrid clearly isn't mentally stable so the film follows her through a series of socially unacceptable moments. If you have an issue with watching awkward situations, do not watch this movie.
Elizabeth Olsen has me convinced that she really is a social media influencer as Taylor Sloane. She has the attitude and demeanor down. Her curated lifestyle and perfect Instagram posts are reflective of so many people we see today. Yet, as the character is explored more closely, we see that not everything is as perfect as it seems.
O'Shea Jackson Jr. plays Dan Pinto, an aspiring screenwriter and he's my favorite part of the movie. He's an endearing character who is a great friend to Ingrid. His obsession with Batman is the funniest thing about the movie.
As soon as Taylor's brother Nicky (Billy Magneussen) is introduced to the plot, the movie takes a nosedive. The plot becomes intensely far-fetched and chaotic. Every decision makes you want to turn the movie off. This is the type of movie that makes you cringe as it is, but the 3rd act is borderline unwatchable.
Ingrid Goes West is a deeply chaotic satire that aims to make you feel uncomfortable about the state of social media.
My Rating: 6/10