Ingrid Goes West released on DVD in NZ on March 21st is a solid dark-comedy thriller with a hefty helping of creepiness thanks to the excellent and at times unhinged Ingrid, delivered by indie movie ace Aubrey Plaza (Parks and Recreation’s April, Safety Not Guaranteed). Ingrid Goes West is fun and playful but often dips into serious commentary when audiences are shown Ingrid’s actions and are forced to question if they feel her behaviour is acceptable or not. Ingrid Goes West also stars the versatile Elizabeth Olsen (Avengers MCU hero The Scarlet Witch), as the impossibly perfect and very Insta-famous Taylor Sloane; with O’Shea Jackson JR (Straight Outta Compton and the upcoming Den of Thieves) starring as Ingrid’s smoked out, Batman-obsessed screenplay writer friend. Ingrid Goes West is engrossing as it’s believable and excellently scripted; so the conversations feel organic, even if Ingrid’s motivations are anything but!
Independent movies have a knack for showing our society mirrored back to us with a lot more swiftness than big budget blockbusters do; and the same can be said for Instagram and other social media platforms too. This concept is what works particularly well in Ingrid Goes West; it’s fair to say that a large majority of people in today’s society have at least ONE friend they’ve made only through getting to know them on social media, rather than in person first. I know it’s true for me and Ingrid Goes West asks us to look at how friendships are built in 2018, through the very real lens of the “Expectation vs Reality” lifestyle that Instagram supports and informs. Mostly while watching Ingrid Goes West I felt a pervasive feeling of cringe as you watch Ingrid reinvent herself and live for the likes from the content she carefully constructs and recreates.
Great pacing, gorgeous California locales, a soundtrack with a sense of humour; and a constant leaning on an Instagram aesthetic within it’s cinematography makes Ingrid Goes West interesting, gripping viewing. Ingrid Goes West was for me a clever movie in that I felt I identified with both Ingrid and Taylor at various points of their story together and the impact of those comparisons sets off it’s own little train of thought! Will Ingrid Goes West stop me from making new friends on social media? Hell no! Will it maybe make me think twice about things that feel fishy? You betcha I will!
Grab some Inta-worthy noms, your most photogenic pals and get together to watch Ingrid Goes West on a Friday or Saturday night for a fun, slightly tense night in – trust me there’ll be #noragrets
PS: Thanks heaps Universal Home Entertainment for sending along a copy of Ingrid Goes West on DVD for me to review.
