Ingrid Goes West - Movie Review

Ingrid Goes West is a quirky dark comedy that examines the impact of social media on our lives. The hunger for followers has a fine line. Technically, stalkers are followers, too, right? Ingrid (Aubrey Plaza) is a confused young adult who lives vicariously through social media. She confuses casual public messages and "likes" for relationships leading to a stalky relationship with a social media star. She moves to California in order to stalk Taylor Sloan (Elizabeth Olsen) who is a social media shill. Her Single White Female like obsession soon unravels, leading to a complete viral meltdown.

Ingrid Goes West is an interesting examination of modern technology. The message is not necessarily "pro-tech." The film takes a bare look at way people interact with social media and the impact it has on relationships and interaction. It takes the concept of "followers" and turns it on its head. It even uses the concept to reconcile the plot, which is a twisted way to end the film. The dialogue is sharp and the characters quirky, but believable. The characters are drawn to be superficial, but their underlying depth is uncovered through the narrative. The film was tedious at times, mostly because it is like watching a train wreck. But there is some satisfaction in that as well. It is a timely story that allows for a bit of introspection in the end as well.

I enjoyed Plaza as the protagonist. I really enjoyed her in Parks and Recreation. She is a quirky actress who has taken on a lot of roles like this. It is her wheelhouse. And she delivered. Her chemistry with Elizabeth Olsen seemed genuine. When the two were "besties" it felt real, in spite of the superficial aspects drawn into the plot. I thought Dan Pinto looked familiar. He is O'Shea Jackson Jr., Ice Cube's son. He looks a lot like his dad. And his performance was solid as the one stabilizing character in the film. Billy Magnussen was irritatingly good as the antagonist. A strong cast capable of quirky helped this film a lot.

Ingrid Goes West came out two weeks ago, but it already disappearing from theaters. I had to go to a 9:20 pm showing last night just to see it in my area. That's not a bad thing. This film is worth watching, but you can wait for it on video. I enjoyed the story, which was interspersed with some great humor. The comedy is quirky, the story has a lot of dark elements, but the underlying themes and characters that connect made this film work for me. Definitely worth streaming when it hits your streaming service. Watch for it. 7.5/10.