We’re all guilty of spending too much time on our phones aimlessly scrolling through social media. While that may detract from valuable time spent with loved ones or doing more important things in life, it also has the potential to bleed into the real world if something spotted online becomes a contentious topic of conversation with another real live person. Basic externalizes the kind of spiral that many won’t want to admit they’re familiar with and takes it in a fantastic, unexpected direction as its protagonists confront the wide gap between expectations and reality.
Gloria (Ashley Park) is happy with her boyfriend Nick (Taylor John Smith), but she’s bothered by the fact that he’s never posted a picture of them together on social media. That wasn’t the case with his ex-girlfriend Kaylinn (Leighton Meester), and after Gloria blows up at Nick about it, they break up. Miserable and alone, Gloria makes the very questionable choice to go to the bar where Kaylinn is hosting trivia without much of a plan at all, leading to a lengthy night spent together gradually unpacking all the ways the two of them were completely wrong about each other.
This film is based on writer-director Chelsea Devantez’s short film of the same name that was set to play at the cancelled 2020 edition of SXSW, and she adds a full hour and a half to the three minutes that previously existed. The way in which she introduces and frames her story is fantastic and creative, with Gloria filling in the unintelligent words she imagines Kaylinn must have said to go with the photos she’s posted and the few stories Gloria has heard from Nick about her. That’s how audiences first get to meet Kaylinn, and only later does the real character appear. The best part at that point is that narrator duties shift from Gloria to Kaylinn, allowing an entirely fresh perspective on all of this and a chance to impart some judgment on Gloria after all she’s presumed about Kaylinn.
Park makes a spectacular return to SXSW after Joy Ride premiered in Austin three years ago. This film goes head-to-head with that one when it comes to jokes per minute, but it’s actually much more grounded and honest, even if it dials up the antics of what Gloria imagines and the unfortunate reality of what she opts not to keep to herself when she does confront Kaylinn. Park has spent much of the past few years on Emily in Paris, and it’s refreshing to see her getting to be completely hilarious as someone who generally has it together but is going through a particularly rough time, unfortunately for her but very luckily for audiences.
Meester is just as funny and great, offering a light touch to the stand-up comedy that Kaylinn performs and leaning into the awkwardness of the situation, where she’s in a position to be kind and helpful to Gloria even though she’s done nothing to earn it. Watching Park and Meester together is a joy, and they’re having so much fun with these characters. Smith is charming – and imperfect – in just the right way, and Ashley Nicole Black, Kenzie Elizabeth, Kandy Muse, and Nelson Franklin are having just as much of a blast as the leads as members of Kaylinn’s friend group partying it up as these two ex-girlfriends open up to each other.
Devantez makes a confident and superb feature debut with this film, which doesn’t waste any time and embeds just a tiny hint of emotion and dramatic resolution into a comedy that’s most concerned with fleshing out real, three-dimensional characters and ensuring that joke after joke lands. It’s a triumph, with these two actresses making excellent cases for a more forgiving landscape for all people, and this funny, fresh film offering a humorous warning about not letting what we see online dominate our lives.
Movie Rating: 8/10
