Common Sense Media Review
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Swearing, smoking, drinking in slight but appealing comedy.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 16+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Izzy Gets the F*ck Across Town
What's the Story?
In IZZY GETS THE F*CK ACROSS TOWN, flaky, stuck-in-a-rut Izzy (Mackenzie Davis) wakes up in the bed of a man (Lakeith Stanfield) she barely remembers. They compare notes, and she gathers her clothes (a wine-stained, black-and-white catering uniform) and checks her messages. She's shocked to discover that her ex, Roger (Alex Russell), is having an engagement party (to which she has not been invited), and she immediately decides to crash it. Her car has been with her mechanic friend (Brandon T. Jackson) for weeks and still isn't ready, so she tries other methods to get across town. Izzy begs friends and acquaintances for help, steals a scooter, and gets sidetracked by colorful characters who are even quirkier than she is. Will she reach the party? And if she does, what does her future hold?
Is It Any Good?
There's very little at stake in this spunky little indie comedy, and that's part of its charm. Davis is endearing, and the SoCal locations and characters are warmly, lazily quirky. Izzy Gets the F*ck Across Town is a mini-quest, a hangover-induced micro-odyssey that encompasses little more than wandering around and having a weird day. But Christian Papierniak, making his feature-writing and directing debut, keeps the stakes just high enough to keep Izzy in a state of perpetual "I can't believe this." She's a flake, and most of her misfortune is her own fault, but she seems to realize that; her truthfulness is appealing.
Papierniak's choice of supporting actors and their own unusual situations is inspired, including Stanfield as a seductive helicopter pilot, Haley Joel Osment as a softie who's fallen in love with his one-night stand, Alia Shawkat as that one-night stand, and Annie Potts as a kind of neighborhood soothsayer. Though the story is romantically motivated, Papierniak avoids fairy-tale fluff and digs right into the heart of the matter. The movie truly comes alive when Izzy encounters her sister (Carrie Coon) and the two play a song together; the crossing close-ups of the women and the fury of the song come enticingly close to revealing Izzy's whole heart.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how Izzy Gets the F*ck Across Town depicts drinking and smoking. Are they glamorized? Are there consequences? Why does that matter?
How is sex portrayed? Do partners seem to trust one another? Is there fidelity or cheating? What values are imparted?
Is Izzy a strong character? What are her flaws? How does she change or grow over the course of the story?
What do you think is keeping Izzy from pursuing her dream as a musician? Have you ever had a dream that you didn't pursue for certain reasons?
How did the strong language in this movie affect you? Was it funny? Too much?
Movie Details
- In theaters : June 22, 2018
- On DVD or streaming : September 25, 2018
- Cast : Mackenzie Davis , Carrie Coon , Haley Joel Osment , Alia Shawkat
- Director : Christian Papierniak
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s) , Bisexual Movie Actor(s) , Middle Eastern/North African Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Shout! Factory
- Genre : Comedy
- Run time : 87 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : May 21, 2020
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