Shithouse (2020)
Don’t let the title of “Shithouse” scare you away. Winner of the Grand Jury Prize (Narrative Film) at the 2020 SXSW Film Festival, the film is a bittersweet, intimate, and observant look at a college student’s tough transition of acclimating to one’s first year away from home. 23-year-old filmmaker Cooper Raiff wrote, directed, co-edited, and starred in his feature debut—an impressive feat in itself for such raw multi-hyphenate talent—and that the film is such a nicely done slice-of-life makes it even more accomplished. The rite of passage of gaining independence and learning about life through its ups and downs would sound trite, but not when it’s presented so vividly. There is so much emotional truth here that “Shithouse” feels like eavesdropping.
Quadruple threat Cooper Raiff leads the way as college freshman Alex, who is having a rough go of adjusting to his first year. 1,500 miles away from his home in Dallas, he is homesick from his mother (Amy Landecker) and sister (Olivia Welch), and has only gotten closer to his one and only friend: his stuffed animal husky (complete with amusing subtitles). One night in the dorms while trying to socialize with his roommate Sam (Logan Miller), who drinks every night, Alex ends up going to a house party on campus at the notorious “Shithouse.” There, as a wallflower, he meets his dorm RA, sophomore Maggie (Dylan Gelula), and spends the night with her. They have such a strong connection that Alex doesn’t understand by morning why Maggie acts like she wants nothing to do with him.
Like a collegian “Before Sunrise,” “Shithouse” isn’t afraid to just sit with these characters and let them breathe. Alex and Maggie talk and hang out, walk and talk, and sometimes party and share a bottle of wine in Maggie’s room. The character of Alex is identifiable, and as an on-screen presence, Cooper Raiff is open and vulnerable. We can’t help but feel sympathy for Alex struggling through his situation because many of us have been there; even something as small as getting locked out of his dorm room after showering is a very real touch. He never comes off pathetic, just human. Though she has popped up in Netflix’s “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” and other films, Dylan Gelula (2017’s
“Flower”) is a revelation in her naturalism as Maggie, who’s independent as she is guarded. The film doesn’t cover more ground than it needs to, and you will want to hug Alex and tell him everything will be okay. Disarming, sensitive, and authentically observed, “Shithouse” is a small gem of an indie that anyone familiar with the college experience could appreciate.
Grade: B
IFC Films will release “Shithouse” (102 min.) in select theaters and on video on demand on October 16, 2020.
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