Greener Grass Review
NR
Runtime: 1 Hour and 36 Minutes
Production Companies: Gulp Splash Productions, Vanishing Angle, 30West
Distributor: IFC Midnight
Writer/Directors: Jocelyn DeBoer, Dawn Luebbe
Cast: Jocelyn DeBoer, Dawn Luebbe, Beck Bennett, Neil Casey, Mary Holland, D'Arcy Carden
Release Date: October 18, 2019 (In theaters & VOD)
In a day-glo-colored, bizarro version of suburbia where adults wear braces on their already-straight teeth, everyone drives golf carts, and children magically turn into golden retrievers, soccer moms and best friends Jill (Jocelyn DeBoer) and Lisa (Dawn Luebbe) are locked in a passive-aggressive battle-of-the-wills that takes a turn into the sinister when Lisa begins systematically taking over every aspect of Jill's life — starting with her newborn daughter. Meanwhile, a psycho yoga teacher killer is on the loose, Jill's husband (Beck Bennett) has developed a curious taste for pool water, and Lisa is pregnant with a soccer ball. That's just the tip of the gloriously weird iceberg that is the feature debut from writers-directors Jocelyn DeBoer and Dawn Luebbe, a hilariously demented, Stepford Wives-on-acid satire destined to be an instant cult classic.
Are you a fan of absurd comedy that makes little to no sense, but in context to its humor it does? Well, comedians-directors Jocelyn DeBoer and Dawn Luebbe have done just that with their first feature Greener Grass. Based on the 2015 short of the same name created by the pair, Greener Grass centers on two suburban soccer moms, Jill (Jocelyn DeBoer) and Lisa (Dawn Luebbe), and the various bizarre scenarios they get into in their colorfully estranged town where anything can happen. I’m not even going to describe what happens in this weird, gleefully silly, and thoroughly hilarious movie. Just think Pleasantville mixed with Stepford Wives in the atmosphere of David Lynch but relentlessly silly as hell. Everyone in this neighborhood speaks in a deadpan or monotonous voice that mocks the character types of residents in middle-class suburban neighborhoods.
Before leaving for Sundance, a friend of mine recommended this movie. This was by far the weirdest movie I saw during the festival and upon rewatching… uh, yeah, it’s still the weirdest movie of 2019 and one of the funniest for that matter. What a year it’s been for comedy where filmmakers are becoming more ambitious and clever with the genre, breaking new grounds, becoming more inspired, and changing the definition of shock value. Greener Grass is a comedy that uses shock in a wholesome way. It’s undoubtedly ambitious comedy that wears its influences on its sleeve, but due to its distinctly carefree and upbeat nature, it creates an individual identity serving as an impressionable debut for the duo.
The narrative is loose for sure, but it never meanders around committing to one bit for too long. Even the transitional music bears resemblance to lightly-toned soap operas of the 20th Century. For a comedy as ambitious as this, one of the benefits is that it mileages a lot of material, from satirizing the nonchalant, non-confrontational nature of the residents to retro-style programs and commercials, all while being absurd to the highest degree without being derivative or crass. A lot of the humor is random but consistent and it just aims higher and higher.
The film spends more focus being a satirization of suburban American culture. The stereotypes of people in those communities is the basis of humor. It has a weird atmosphere, but what makes it great is how consistent it is with its humor. The writing is laugh-out-loud hilarious, from the dialogue to the visual gags.
Whenever the film would run out of steam in its story, something insanely new would occur and have you cackling in your seat. The film also features a buttload of recognizable names and faces, such as D’arcy Carden, Beck Bennett, and Neil Casey who all have incredible bits. But if this film should do anything, it should be to launch DeBoer and Luebbe into comedic stardom and receive a series. It kind of bears the weirdness of an Adult Swim live-action series, but the deliverance of the humor is as hard-hitting as a variety series on Comedy Central. Seriously, they need to have their own show. Like, today. Five bucks says within two years they’ll sign a deal for their own show on either Adult Swim or Comedy Central. It’s what they deserve!
What gives this bizarre movie its own distinctive flair is the production design that brings DeBoer and Luebbe’s weird, candy-colored suburbia to life where people conformed to their designated clothing, which also reflects the interior decoration of the various settings. The art direction is color-coordinated very well and it adds another layer to the weirdness and the humor, elevating the stylish and authentic colorful visuals. I know it's awards season, and by no means is this an awards film, but the art direction is so damn effective for an indie movie.
Without a doubt, Greener Grass is a delight, but it kind of overstays its welcome as you feel the length during the latter half and the humor starts to run out of steam. It still manages to be funny, but the fuel noticeably dwindles out as it gets more character-driven, focusing on Jill and her feud with Lisa. As a theatrical film, it has the same effect as Dear White People in the vein that it’s a bit disjointed as a feature-length film. You admire its ambition but would rather see it set as a television series. I wouldn’t mind seeing more of DeBoer and Luebbe on TV. If not, have them satirize other types of societies that are waiting to be mocked through this medium.
Serving as a breakthrough jump-off point, displaying the brand of humor of Jocelyn DeBoer and Dawn Luebbe, Greener Grass is a funny, silly, twisted, and strange suburban comedy. The comedy wears thin as it progresses, but darn it is very ambitious and very funny.
