Horst_In_Translation Review of Darby Forever

Darby Forever (2016 Video)

The main character is not interesting enough

[4/10 · 26 March 2019]

"Darby Forever" is a 20-minute live action short film from 2016 and if you take a look at the 3 names who wrote and directed this one, you will see that everybody is close to the long-running comedy show Saturday Night Live. This includes Aidy Bryant, who plays the main character. Well i've never been too big on SNL honestly, especially in recent years, so I am not too surprised I found this one we got here rather underwhelming as well. This is the life and story of a chubby store clerk around the age of 30 perhaps and the people she meets. This does not only include her pushy boss or the colleague she's been crushing on, but also the customers of course. Every time somebody new enters the store, she ends up in a world of her own that is somehow connected to these new people and their behavior and mannerisms like the uptight Asian-American lady and her equally uptight young daughter. There we see Darby's fictitious own daughter and Darby herself and how they are the better and happier mother-daughter couple. That was okay I guess. The earlier sequence with the concert was very forgettable though, more loud and annoying than memorable. And the scene at the sports game at the very end where she is married to her crush and also again the daughter is there.. well the comedy was not up my alley. The jokes were random and unexpected, but neither witty or funny like when they put a dog in the film as coach in uniform. Or the commentators. Or the ice cream disguised as pizza. Or the vain former school mate. Well, not good enough. I almost felt that Evelyn, her boss was funnier and she reminded me Uzo Aduba, that psycho chick from OitNB. Anyway, I am drifting a bit away now. I am not sure if this was supposed to be the pilot episode for a series (probably if we see the ending and how she wants to be with the guy she is drooling over), but as its from 2016 and nothing in terms of follow-ups has been made since then, I guess there will be no more Darby. I am not too sad about it. Don't think I would have kept watching and the daydreaming idea just isn't good enough or anything they could have picked up on in every episode. All in all, a thumbs-down. Mostly forgettable little film and that includes the female lead as well.