Like writing, acting, painting, or, uh, film criticism, making money as a comedian is not an easy road to take. In Mike Birbiglia’s new film Don’t Think Twice, the director looks at six disparate characters and comedians, all attempting to make their livings the hard way, and laughing about it at the same time.
Don’t Think Twice tells the story of six comedic performers in an improv troupe in New York City (where else?) who navigate personal lives, unemployment, and the slippery road to success while trying to maintain their friendships and keep their heads above water. It doesn’t hurt that the six include Keegan-Michael Key, Chris Gethard, Gillian Jacobs, Kate Micucci, Tami Sagher, and Birbiglia himself, all of whom are…well, very funny people. But things are not easy for these six, not with egos to contend with and stardom to chase. It’s one thing to be funny, but it’s another to be successful at being funny.
The latest trailer doesn’t show much of the film’s plot, per se, save for the inevitable competing auditions at Weekend Live, standing in for guess what popular sketch comedy show? But it does showcase each of our performers, and certainly reinforce that this is a film about friendship, comedy, and egos, all of which do not always sit well together.
Our own Matt Donato thought that Don’t Think Twice was a pretty good film when he saw it at SXSW, so that’s a recommendation if ever there was one. It’s since made the rounds on the festival circuit and received generally good responses everywhere it went. So if you trust critics, you might as well trust ’em on this one.
Don’t Think Twice will finally hit theaters on July 22. Check out the trailer below and see if you don’t laugh.
