Psychological drama (masquerading as a romcom), is written and directed by Kristoffer Borgli.
Zendaya - Emma
Robert Pattinson - Charlie
Alana Haim - Rachel
Mamoudou Athie - Mike
Hailey Gates - Misha
Zoë Winters - Frances
Hannah Gross - Alice
Sydney Lemmon - Pauline
Anna Baryshnikov - Samantha
Additionally, Jordyn Curet plays a young Emma.
Summary
At a café in Boston, museum director Charlie approaches bookstore clerk Emma, pretending he's already read her book - The Damage by Harper Ellison.
Fake title might be teasing a future project, but author is probably a reference to Harlan Ellison.
Emma explains she is deaf in one ear and invites him to restart conversation, leading to a date.
Two years later, they're engaged. By now, we've met Emma's maid of honour Rachel and Charlie's best man Mike.
A week before the big day, the four of them get drunk and discuss the worst things they've ever done.
Emma reveals she was planning a school shooting at just fifteen and firing her father's rifle caused her ear to pop. This disgusts Rachel, as a shooting incident paralyzed her cousin Samantha.
Although this puts immense strain on their relationship, the wedding goes ahead, at the expense of pushing Charlie's mental state to breaking point.
Double empathy
What apparently begins as a sweet romance soon becomes a pitch-black satire.
Sound design pours glasses of eerie silence, with disconcerting camera angles and abrupt cuts reeking of awkward tension.
The ever reliable Zendaya injects complex vulnerability and a bespectacled Pattinson is at the centre of escalating chaos.
Controversial subject matter will probably leave a sour taste and already has tongues furiously wagging.
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