Brad's Status (Ben Stiller/Jenna Fischer/Michael Sheen)

[Britnasty]

4/5.

Saw this on Tuesday and it was an experience for sure. I went in not expecting this film to be so damn dark. It's bleak at times.

Ben Stiller gives a great performance here. A lot of it is largely through spoken dialogue he is thinking in the moment and boy is it heavy. It's a very dark look at a man in his midlife crisis. His wife feels it, his son feels it, but all Brad feels is jealousy, anger, rage. He has built up his life that he should be seemingly happy in but instead, is busy building a fantasy of what his life should be compared to past friends or colleagues. Its brutally honest, we have all been there, but to be in the chair having it thrown at you for 97 minutes is excruciating.

That's why I think this may end up in my top 10. It makes you feel something, it puts you in the chair of the character and you only want him to stop when he's

[Show spoiler]fantasizing about f*cking his sons 2 college friends when he has a great life built up across the country.

I wanted the film to end but when it was over, I wanted more.

[Show spoiler]I loved the scene of him going to the orchestra concert. He has a real 'come to' moment but I feel like after sitting through this at times, unbelievably painful film, he deserved a bigger payoff.

I wanted to see him come to this full resolve his character so badly needed but it just ends.