Happily (film)
Happily | |
---|---|
Directed by | BenDavid Grabinski |
Written by | BenDavid Grabinski |
Produced by |
|
Starring | |
Cinematography | Adam Bricker |
Edited by | Spencer Houck |
Music by | Joseph Trapanese |
Production companies |
|
Distributed by | Saban Films |
Release date |
|
Running time | 95 minutes[1] |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Happily is a 2021 American comedy thriller film written and directed by BenDavid Grabinski, in his directorial debut. It stars Joel McHale, Kerry Bishé, Stephen Root, Natalie Morales, Paul Scheer, and Natalie Zea.
It was released on March 19, 2021, by Saban Films.
Premise[]
Tom and Janet's friends are jealous of their lustful relationship. When a visit from a mysterious stranger leads to a dead body, they begin to question the loyalty of their so-called friends.
Cast[]
- Joel McHale as Tom
- Kerry Bishé as Janet
- Stephen Root as Goodman
- Natalie Zea as Karen
- Paul Scheer as Val
- Natalie Morales as Patricia
- Jon Daly as Donald
- Kirby Howell-Baptiste as Maude
- Charlyne Yi as Gretel
- Breckin Meyer as Richard
- Shannon Woodward as Carla
- Brea Grant as Cashier
- Al Madrigal as Arthur
Production[]
In February 2019, it was announced Joel McHale, Kerry Bishé, Stephen Root, Natalie Zea, Paul Scheer, Natalie Morales, Jon Daly, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, Charlyne Yi, Breckin Meyer, Shannon Woodward, Brea Grant and Al Madrigal had been cast in the film, with BenDavid Grabinski directing from a screenplay he wrote. Nancy Leopardi, Ross Kohn, Jack Black and Spencer Berman will produce the film under their Indy Entertainment, Electric Dynamite, while Kyle Newman and Chuckie Duff will serve as executive producers under his Common Wealth Media banner.[2]
Principal photography began in Los Angeles in February 2019.[3]
Release[]
It was scheduled to have its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival on April 18, 2020.[4] However, the festival was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[5] In November 2020, Saban Films acquired distribution rights to the film.[6] It was released on March 19, 2021.[7]
Reception[]
Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes gives the films an 68% approval rating based on 47 reviews, with an average rating of 6.6/10. The website's critics consensus reads: "Happily struggles to fully realize its ambitions, but at its best, this intermittently intriguing drama makes pointed -- and frequently funny -- observations about modern relationships."[8] According to Metacritic, which sampled 11 critics and calculated a weighted average score of 56 out of 100, the film received "mixed or average reviews".[9]
References[]
- ^ "Happily". Tribeca Film Festival. Retrieved March 6, 2020.
- ^ Donnelly, Matt (February 27, 2019). "Joel McHale, Kerry Bishe to Star in Dark Comedy Thriller 'Happily' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved March 5, 2019.
- ^ "Happily". Production List. 7 January 2019. Retrieved March 5, 2019.
- ^ Goldsmith, Jill (March 3, 2020). "Tribeca Sets Feature Lineup Of Films For 2020 Fest". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
- ^ Beresford, Tribly; Lewis, Hilary (March 12, 2020). "Tribeca Film Festival Postponed Amid Coronavirus Fears". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
- ^ Wiseman, Andreas (November 9, 2020). "Saban Films Takes North American & UK Rights To Dark Comedy 'Happily' Starring Joel McHale, Kerry Bishé & Stephen Root". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved November 9, 2020.
- ^ Ferme, Antonio (February 9, 2021). "'Happily': Watch the First Trailer for Joel McHale's Dark Romantic Comedy". Variety. Retrieved February 9, 2021.
- ^ "Happily (2021)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved March 25, 2021.
- ^ "Happily Reviews". Metacritic. Red Ventures. Retrieved March 21, 2021.
External links[]
- 2021 films
- English-language films
- 2021 black comedy films
- 2021 thriller films
- 2020s comedy thriller films
- American black comedy films
- American comedy thriller films
- American films
- Films postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic
- Films scored by Joseph Trapanese
- Films shot in Los Angeles
- Saban Films films