movie review: ingrid goes west

A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of going to a private screening of the movie, Ingrid Goes West. A dark comedy with an extreme take on social media–Instagram in particular–I found this movie to be very entertaining. While the cast is largely unknown, with the exception of O’Shea Jackson, Jr. (son of rapper Ice Cube and star of Straight Out of Compton) they deliver solid performances with perfect timing.

Ingrid, played by Aubrey Plaza, has just lost her mother and is desperately trying to connect with someone, (anyone) and at the same time, get over her recent loss. When the grief and pressure prove too much for her, she snaps and her antics land her in hot water. But after a stint out of the lime light and having seemingly pulled herself together, Ingrid takes her inheritance and moves across the country to California to start anew.

With O’Shea Jackson, Jr., as her landlord and Elizabeth Olsen (sister to Mary Kate and Ashley) her new bff, the ongoing adventures begin. And in the era of social media where people document their every move online, Ingrid’s actions are captured in real-time. But as most people have come to realize, most of the time what you see on social media, isn’t what’s really happening, or is it…

On top of being funny and thought-provoking, there are a host of messages in this flick; and while overt, they aren’t preachy. This movie just might give you pause the next time you decide to broadcast where you are, who you’re with, and what you’re doing.

Ingrid Goes West will be released broadly on Friday, August 11.