This was a very chill movie.
It also made me realize how much I hate people.
Anyways, Or Something.
Or Something is an independent film directed by Jeff Schroeder and co-written and co-starring Subway Takes host and comedian Kareem Rahma, alongside multimedia filmmaker Mary Neely.
This two-hander follows Olivia and Amir, two strangers who are both struggling financially. They meet after a coincidence involving a person who owes both of them money. Turns out… he doesn’t have it. And they both really need it. So they decide to go to a guy named Uptown Mike to get cash, but he won’t be there until three. Over the course of the next three to four hours, they hang out, talk, eat, and kill time together.
And I quite liked it.
This is very much a Before Trilogy-style film: two people, one day, a few hours. That’s the vibe. And for what it is, I found it really enjoyable. It’s a witty, smart, slow-burning hangout movie full of conversations about the dynamics between men and women, social differences, and, apparently...the last time you masturbated. Like, Kareem, I love you, but… seriously?
I found a lot of the conversations intoxicating and hypnotic. I’m a sucker for these kinds of films, dialogue-driven movies that people love to dismiss as “films with no point.” I find that take incredibly stupid. These films often have the most point. Watching how different social groups communicate, clash, and misunderstand each other is fascinating to me, and I think this film does that really well.
That said, I can’t help but admit that some things didn’t fully work for me. A few conversations felt a little too long or overdone. Not bloated or boring, but repetitive. Many of the discussions end in similar places, with the same conclusions, and after a while that repetition lost me a bit.
And then there’s the ending.
That ending hurt me, dawg, but I loved it. It’s probably my favorite part of the movie. Throughout the film, Olivia says she desperately needs the money because her cat, Frank, is dying. But in reality, Frank is her drug dealer, and she’s actually using the money for a bus. That reveal stung, but I also kind of adored it. It plays with your expectations: you’re led to believe she’s sweet, but herself, and cunning while also being slightly sincere, that she’d never manipulate someone. And then. Nope. She did.
Not in a “women bad, men dumb” way. More like the movie saying to the audience: You believed her too. Congratulations. You got played, buddy. Or maybe I’m just talking out of my ass again.
Also, ending the film with “Back to You” by Melody English is an absolute chef’s kiss. That track is a banger, the EP is impeccable, and if you read the lyrics in context of the story, it’s a perfect, perfect end-credits needle drop.
In the end, I found it to be a really nice film. I liked it a lot. It kept me engaged most of the time, and there were plenty of moments that really worked for me. And the “I’m Egyptian” joke. Pretty funny.
A nice picture.
A very chill picture.
This was a very chill movie.
It also made me realize how much I hate people.
Anyways, Or Something.
Or Something is an independent film directed by Jeff Schroeder and co-written and co-starring Subway Takes host and comedian Kareem Rahma, alongside multimedia filmmaker Mary Neely.
This two-hander follows Olivia and Amir, two strangers who are both struggling financially. They meet after a coincidence involving a person who owes both of them money. Turns out… he doesn’t have it. And they both really need it. So they decide to go to a guy named Uptown Mike to get cash, but he won’t be there until three. Over the course of the next three to four hours, they hang out, talk, eat, and kill time together.
And I quite liked it.
This is very much a Before Trilogy-style film: two people, one day, a few hours. That’s the vibe. And for what it is, I found it really enjoyable. It’s a witty, smart, slow-burning hangout movie full of conversations about the dynamics between men and women, social differences, and, apparently...the last time you masturbated. Like, Kareem, I love you, but… seriously?
I found a lot of the conversations intoxicating and hypnotic. I’m a sucker for these kinds of films, dialogue-driven movies that people love to dismiss as “films with no point.” I find that take incredibly stupid. These films often have the most point. Watching how different social groups communicate, clash, and misunderstand each other is fascinating to me, and I think this film does that really well.
That said, I can’t help but admit that some things didn’t fully work for me. A few conversations felt a little too long or overdone. Not bloated or boring, but repetitive. Many of the discussions end in similar places, with the same conclusions, and after a while that repetition lost me a bit.
And then there’s the ending.
That ending hurt me, dawg, but I loved it. It’s probably my favorite part of the movie. Throughout the film, Olivia says she desperately needs the money because her cat, Frank, is dying. But in reality, Frank is her drug dealer, and she’s actually using the money for a bus. That reveal stung, but I also kind of adored it. It plays with your expectations: you’re led to believe she’s sweet, but herself, and cunning while also being slightly sincere, that she’d never manipulate someone. And then. Nope. She did.
Not in a “women bad, men dumb” way. More like the movie saying to the audience: You believed her too. Congratulations. You got played, buddy. Or maybe I’m just talking out of my ass again.
Also, ending the film with “Back to You” by Melody English is an absolute chef’s kiss. That track is a banger, the EP is impeccable, and if you read the lyrics in context of the story, it’s a perfect, perfect end-credits needle drop.
In the end, I found it to be a really nice film. I liked it a lot. It kept me engaged most of the time, and there were plenty of moments that really worked for me. And the “I’m Egyptian” joke. Pretty funny.
A nice picture.
A very chill picture.
