What a twisty and entertaining blast. Elisabeth Moss and Mark Duplass are fantastic in it too - it's very much a two-hander between them for 99% of the running time (Ted Danson appears briefly in one scene at the beginning). It's best to go in knowing as little as possible about it - it adds to the fun. A-

heady

This twisting and turning romantic drama may be a tad superficial, but it is most entertaining in the moment. The storyline is hard to describe without spoilers, but it begins with Ethan (Mark Duplass) and Sophie (Elisabeth Moss), their relationship strained by his cheating, traveling to a beautiful retreat endorsed by their psychiatrist, played in a brief role by Ted Danson. At the picturesque estate, there is a swimming pool, an orange grove, and a guesthouse. It is in the guesthouse where mysterious, strange incidents test Ethan and Sophie's understanding of reality and provide them with an unexpected insight into the evolution of their relationship. This film recalls the oeuvre of screenwriter Charlie Kaufman in the way it uses a mind-bending high concept to explore the human condition and themes of devotion and pain. It shares Kaufman's playful sense of down-is-the-new-up humor as it toys with the audience's perceptions and expectations, though it does not hold together as perfectly as, say, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind as more of its cards are revealed in the third act nor are its characters' arcs as resonant. This is no fault of the stars, however. Duplass and Moss are an attractive, down-to-earth, and well-matched duo. Both their arguments and flirtations ring true. He has an easy, modestly neurotic charm, and her screen presence is light, adorable, and laced with a wistful feeling. Together, they breathe a reasonable amount of tense life into characters who could have simply functioned as game-board pieces.

B