Instagram is just as fake as reality TV shows (which are partially scripted) and professional wrestling (which is predetermined). Those effortless snaps “celebrities” throw up for their hordes of followers to obsess over while they humble brag about their good life take hours of preparation, they’re not just taken on impulse. They didn’t wake up looking like that, Santa doesn’t exist, and Nick isn’t a real boy. Sorry to bust your bubble #notsorry.
That’s also where the dark comedy / drama Ingrid Goes West comes in, which has been getting a lot of positive buzz following its recent screening at the Sundance Film Festival where it was nominated for a Grand Jury Prize (drama) and won the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award for debut feature writers Matt Spicer (who also directs) and David Branson Smith.
The movie stars Aubrey Plaza (currently killing it as Lenny in Legion) as Ingrid, a mentally disturbed young woman who heads west to track down her Instagram obsession, Taylor Sloane (co-star Elizabeth Olsen), because she wants to share in that good life her “best friend” has. As we can see that carefully crafted façade that both wear cracks under scrutiny. Taylor’s life is revealed to be less than perfect, and Ingrid is forced to confront reality.
I really like the look of this movie because it gives off a colourful, surreal vibe that complements the subject matter, which is actually pretty heavy if you think about it.
What do you think?
The official plot synopsis is as follows:
Ingrid Thorburn (Plaza), a mentally disturbed young woman, becomes obsessed with Taylor Sloane (Olsen), a social media star who appears to have the perfect life. But when Ingrid decides to drop everything and move west to befriend Taylor, her behavior turns unsettling and increasingly dangerous.
Ingrid Goes West is due for release in the US on 4 August. It stars Aubrey Plaza, Elizabeth Olsen (hey, it’s an Avengers / X-Men crossover!), O’Shea Jackson Jr., Wyatt Russell, Billy Magnussen and Pom Klementieff (and they both crossover with Guardians of the Galaxy too!).
Last Updated: April 5, 2017
