I Used to Go Here — Spoiler Free Review. An Endearing Comedy

Genre: Comedy

Director: Kris Rey

Cast: Gillian Jacobs, Jemaine Clement, Josh Wiggins, Hannah Marks, Zoe Chao, Jorma Taccone, Forrest Goodluck

Runtime: 80 mins

Rating: ★★★★★

I love attending the South by Southwest (SXSW) film festival each year in Austin, Texas. It gives me the chance to screen smaller independent films, as well as the opportunity to interview the filmmakers and actors involved. This year, I Used to Go Here was at the top of my list. I was looking forward to talking to writer and director, Kris Rey until fear over the Coronavirus shut down the festival. Thankfully, I was able to screen this entertaining comedy at home.

Writer Kate Conklin’s (Gillian Jacobs) life has hit a standstill. Not only is her engagement off but her closest friends all seem to be pregnant and moving on with their lives. Making matters worse is news from her publisher that poor sales of her debut novel, Seasons Passed, has lead to the cancellation of her book tour. Needing to shake things up, Kate jumps at an invitation to do a reading at her alma mater by her former professor and mentor David Kirkpatrick (Jemaine Clement). Will the change of pace be enough to jump-start Kate’s life or serve as a painful reminder of the rut she’s in?

What impressed me about I Used to Go Here is how casual it is. Jacob’s portrayal of Kate is effortless and there’s a noticeable comfort in storytelling throughout the film, which has a lot to do with its director. While I Used to Go Here isn’t autobiographical, Rey draws on elements of her past in setting the film in Carbondale, Illinois where she and the fictional Kate attended college. I can only imagine the range of emotions Rey felt going back to Carbondale to film her fourth feature.

Returning to her former stomping grounds, Kate finds herself getting the full celebrity treatment. Her eager-to-please student guide and chauffeur Elliot (Rammel Chan) provides some lighthearted comic relief as Kate settles in. Housed at a bed and breakfast that coincidentally is across the street from where she once lived is such a simple yet great setup. After all, how many of us have tried looking back at our past through our adult eyes? I immediately found myself engaged, in part because it reminded me of my own recent travels.

Growing up, my grandma lived in a neighboring state. One of the things we loved doing when visiting was riding our Big Wheels ™️ down her long and steep driveway. While traveling in the area recently I decided to check out the house. While not physically altered, the hill was no longer the steep mountain I had imagined but merely a simple incline. The hill hadn’t changed; my perspective of it had. Kate has the same experience when she returns to the home she coins the “Writer’s Retreat.”

There she meets a group of intrepid students, Animal (Forrest Goodluck), Hugo (Josh Wiggins), and Tall Brandon (Brandon Daley). During her stay in Carbondale, Kate finds herself joining in their adventures while discovering more about herself. The scenes and dialogue are so natural it’s almost mundane, but in a good way because it’s real. The casualness of the group sitting around the couch and hanging out at the beach is what Rey uses to draw the audience in.

As much as I enjoyed the dialogue in I Used to Go Here, I particularly connected with the last line of the film as it made me reflect on my view of Kate. In a day and age where society is so focused on measuring success and failure, Rey never tries to categorize Kate. This allows viewers to form their own opinions of the character. There’s a hopefulness to the final line reminding you that even in difficult times, your story hasn’t ended and there’s always room to improve. For sure, it doesn’t hurt to look back, see what you’ve done, question how you’re being perceived, and make adjustments to your life, if necessary.

While I enjoyed I Used to Go Here, I couldn’t help but wonder how it would have looked as a series. Not only did I want Kate’s story to continue, but Rey plants enough storyline seeds to raise my curiosity about the world this talented director created. Even now as the film searches for a home, I can easily it being the introduction to a series on one of the popular streaming services.

I Used to Go Here is an entertaining, well written and acted tale worth checking out. While it’s labeled a comedy, I’ve always found these tags to be misleading. While the film has some funny moments, it’s a different breed of comedy, one finding the humor in real life. The kind you find with a group of friends in real life rather than the over-the-top slapstick humor we’ve come to associate with the term.

As someone who appreciates independent films. I can’t wait to see what Rey has planned next. It’s unfortunate SXSW was cancelled this year due to COVID-19. Hopefully, in the near future, I Used to Go Here will find its way to audiences either on the big screen or video on demand.

Tweet me @staffaroadtrip or leave a comment below to let me know what you think about I Used to Go Here.

Check out past SXSW interviews with Jorma Taccone and Josh Wiggins who now appear in I Used to Go Here.

Jorma Taccone – The Last O.G. SXSW Premiere and Red Carpet Interviews.

Josh Wiggins – Walking Out – The Will to Survive. SXSW Premiere and Red Carpet Interviews.

—————————————

Biography of the Author(Read Below)..
Latest Posts (view them )..

Greg Staffa

I provide testosterone to the site. You won’t be reading about how nice a actress looks in a dress or how much of a hunk Matt Bomer is in my reviews. I describe colors using words like brown, not taupe. My twitter name is @staffaroadtrip because I love road trips and have done two different 48-state road trips since 2008. My favorite show is White Collar.