Would you rather have to set healthy work-life boundaries or create a casting call, hire a lookalike, and coach them to impersonate you at work so you don’t have a conflict with your personal life? When music video director Pasqual’s opportunity to direct the next Drake video coincides with his wife Christine’s due date, the choice is clear: he hires a security guard named Miguel who looks just enough like him and gives him a crash course in being a director. And although this absurd premise inevitably and dramatically falls apart, it’s hilarious to watch it unravel.
Serious People is another entry in the rise of autofiction, with co-director Pasqual Gutierrez playing a fictionalized version of himself, with his real-life friends, family, and colleagues also acting in it as characterizations of themselves. This comes with little surprise, given the feeling of realism embedded within the film’s relationships. The dynamic between Pasqual and Christine, for example, is so charming and natural; things as simple as the clothes they wear or the way they decorate their home adds to this sense of authenticity within the farce.
This approach feels perfect for a film that is literally about blurring the lines between work and real life. The fly on the wall shot choices and frequent long takes further play into this, creating just enough of a distance between the subjects and the camera to make it feel like a documentary. All of it feels candid, especially the humor, which often seems as though it is just a group of friends improvising.
The specific and modern sense of humor that Serious People has may not be universally appreciated, but for those willing to play into its brazenly cringe and proudly dumb antics, it’s a highly quotable, totally unique film. As Miguel, Miguel Huerta plays one of the most memorable characters of the year. His complete lack of self-consciousness makes for the perfect punchline. And even when they appear improvised, the jokes work towards building the film’s overarching statement about the vapidity of L.A.’s hustle culture.
It all builds to a stress-inducing finale featuring Drake’s very own doppelganger. And while this conclusion is certainly funny, it’s also a bit underwhelming. The entire dilemma essentially resolves without resolution. Everything’s all a little too quick and easy, even for an attempt to solidify themes about the transience of L.A.
But despite the sparse runtime and apparently limited resources, it’s impressive how much the film is able to say about fatherhood and filmmaking and where both of these ideas stand in our culture. With Serious People’s punchy premise, memorable humor, and smart filmmaking, directors Pasqual Gutierrez and Ben Mullinkosson announce themselves as fresh voices to look out for. Just be sure to cross reference their IDs.
Hannah Tran
Hannah Tran is a filmmaker, writer, and friendly neighborhood barista from Las Vegas. She graduated from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in Film and English and is currently working on her first feature film. In her spare time, she can be found attending film festivals, running a local book club, and, of course, devouring as many movies as possible.