The Oath

A demanding loyalty pledge is a clever device for looking at the kind of divides that are capable of splitting up families, but this comedy's storytelling is uneven. The Oath seems to have its heart in the right place and could even be seen as optimistic despite its sometimes pitch-black tone. It definitely has a leftward (or perhaps non-rightward) bent, depicting some on the conservative side as non-critical thinkers, to say the least. But Ike Barinholtz also doesn't skimp on depicting the obnoxiousness and easy triggering that many complain about regarding liberals, too. In that way, the film is balanced: Almost everyone in it is objectionable in some way.

But the story moves in fits and starts, lurching from confrontation to confrontation. Barinholtz goes perhaps too far in making it clear why even reasonable people tell Chris to shut up. The film's sudden dark turn is the kind of adrenaline shot that focuses you, especially since it features John Cho and the versatile Billy Magnussen. It's also a pleasure to see Haddish in such a sensible role, though Jay Duplass' screen time is all too limited. Brownstein has become a welcome screen presence, injecting calm into the chaos. The film declines to name any current politicians, policies, or events, so it's less an exploration of specific issues than a parable about how terrifyingly easy it is to turn people against one another -- and how even those who believe they have strong moral compasses can be led astray under stress. Without spoiling anything, The Oath could be interpreted to have a hopeful outlook, that perhaps the time will come when the country wakes up from its current fever dream and reunites, more or less.