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‘The Threesome’ Review: Charming Rom-Com Chases Something More as Zoey Deutch Irons Out an Awkward Situation
'Morris in America' director Chad Hartigan classes up a bawdy premise in a frisky comedy about a carefree sexual encounter with a lasting impact.
On stage, Matthew (Tommy Do) and Greg (a scene-stealing Jaboukie Young-White) say their vows and the latter is toasted by his best friend Connor (Jonah Hauer-King), who had a hand in introducing them, while off-screen, there is a union of sensibilities as director Chad Hartigan, who is capable of both contemplative dramas (“This Is Martin Bonner”) and raucous comedies (“Morris From America”), tries his hand at finding a happy medium with the outrageous premise of Ethan Ogilby lending itself to cringe humor, but the genuinely intriguing relationship dynamics it brings up are well worth interrogating seriously. Aesthetically, the film operates with the same palette of earth tones and casually beautiful cinematography that grounded Hartigan’s great sci-fi romance “Little Fish,” but that style can occasionally be at odds with its more boisterous bits of broad humor, with a supporting cast including Arden Myrin and Robert Longstreet as Jenny’s God-fearing parents and Julia Sweeney as Connor’s mother looking as if they’ve arrived from a sitcom. With a title like “The Threesome,” it could disappoint some that there isn’t a little more audacity on display, but it’s admirable that Hartigan and Ogilby dare to seek out something more in the high-concept idea they’ve hatched than to settle for cheap laughs and easy answers.
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