'Cora Bora' Review: Meg Stalter Shows Off Her Star Power in Solid Bisexual Dramedy | SXSW 2023
NR
Runtime: 1 Hour and 92 Minutes
Production Companies: Los Angeles Media Fund, Neon Heart Productions, Almanor Films
Distributor: Brainstorm Media
Director: Hannah Pearl Utt
Writer: Rhianon Jones
Cast: Megan Stalter, Jojo T. Gibbs, Manny Jacinto, Ayden Mayeri, Thomas Mann, Chrissie Fit, Andre Hyland, Chelsea Peretti, Margaret Cho, Darrell Hammond
Release Date: June 15, 2024
SXSW Coverage
Twitter sensation and actor Megan Stalter has become a rising comedic star through an eccentric, humorous brand. Her star power shines through funny show tunes in her viral videos and her role as Kayla on the HBO MAX series Hacks. During this year’s SXSW, Stalter proved her leading lady talents in her debut feature Cora Bora, a cringe-comedy about a messy bisexual in an open relationship returning home to be her partner’s main meat again.
Cora, a thirty-something LA-based musician, struggles to launch a music career off the ground, stuck performing her original songs in dingy spaces. Delusional about her life, Cora finds solace in living freely in an open relationship with her girlfriend of five years, Justine (Jojo T. Gibbs). During one of their web chat calls, Cora notices that her primary partner has another woman’s undergarments lying around in her bedroom. If that’s not bad enough, Cora later overhears Justine talking about Cora to her new partner Riley (Ayden Mayeri). Feeling envious, Cora impulsively rushes to her hometown of Portland in a grand scheme to become the main chick rather than a side piece to Justine.
Cora Bora works best as Megan Stalter’s one-woman show, proving she’s a star outside of TV and social media. Cora is as shallow, sarcastic, and self-centered as your average Mavis Gary and Annie Walker characters. Despite her unlikable character, Stalter finds equilibrium in adding some distinctive charm to Cora. Her colorful chic wardrobe lets you know what she’s about as she radiates bisexual chaos in every frame. Many might misinterpret her abrasiveness and insecurities as mean-spirited, but Stalter’s natural dry-wit humor and chemistry with every supporting co-star carries the film. Despite Cora’s selfish actions, Stalter’s irresistible screen presence naturally invests you in her plight to win back her lover’s heart. Her cringe and awkward humor work wonders for her, but she impresses when the story delves into surprising drama beats. Stalter nails her raw emotional scenes with confidence.
Writer Rhianon Jones paints an intriguing portrait of Cora’s character through the film’s queer coat of paint. The girl failure who doesn’t have her shit together archetype may be familiar, but her chaotic bisexual identity adds an enticing flair to her character. Thankfully, Jones’ script strays from making a screwball love-triangle comedy where Cora must play a game of wits with Riley to get Justine’s affection. Instead, she and director Hannah Pearl Utt take a bolder direction with a complicated portrayal of polyamory without being problematic. Cora stays messy but never toxic. Yes, envy is her motivation for the journey back home, but it’s merely a starting point for Jones to magnify the source of Cora’s jealousy.
I appreciate how unconventional Cora’s character development is, where she finds better connections with strangers than those close to her. On her way home, Cora forms a bond with a kind-hearted music producer from her awry flight (Manny Jacinto) and later an endearing and wise polycule she jams with.
As enticing a study as Cora Bora is, there are times when Cora’s abrasiveness becomes, according to Justine in the phone call she overhears, “too much.” I love unlikable protagonists as much as the next person, but sometimes Cora’s hard edge gets under my skin. Jones makes it completely obvious the lack of power Cora has in her everyday life is projected into her failing relationship. Cora’s past is a significant gear-shifting plot development held down by Stalter’s performance.
Once Cora gets home and the plot kicks into high gear, it runs on vibes. Vibing with Cora on this trip isn’t an issue. If anything, it adds a grounded natural feel to the story seeing her traverse Portland with a chip on her shoulder. That said, you can’t help but feel the aimlessness of the plot. It’s a character study that stays grounded, and while I appreciate its queer identity, I can’t help but want a little more substance in some of its hollow areas.
Cora Bora supplies welcome queer-inclusivity to an overfamiliar character archetype led by a show-stopping Megan Stalter. Its plot may be a bit aimless, but it compensates through dry-wit humor and the lead’s balancing of chaos and charm.
