Short Film Review: "A Good Couple" Examines The Fantasy And Reality Of A Relationship
A Good Couple is set to premiere this upcoming Wednesday, September 1st, at the 24th Dances With Films Festival in Los Angeles. Written and directed by Robert Gregson, the film looks at a not-so healthy relationship through a fantasy lens, asking us if our idealized perfection is a tangible reality or a complication.
Julia and Dan are a volatile couple staying in a house in the woods on for their anniversary who experience some peculiar eeriness which calls their romance into question.
A Good Couple evokes certain similarities to Jordon Peele’s sophomore effort, Us, with its horror leaning, use of doppelgängers, and the shared Rorschach-theme to its poster. Where Peele wrestles with the notion of “us vs. them,” Gregson looks at what is versus what could be in the context of a relationship. The scope is much more narrow to tailor to the short-form format, and it’s a bit sharper in its messaging for taking that path. Essentially, the film asks us to question if our idealized version of reality would be a blessing or a curse, and it approaches this in a very “be careful what you wish for” kinda way, which is an angle we’ve all probably seen before. Although it manages to drive its point home, it’s a bit too reliant on irony as its primary delivery method, which makes its final moments a bit more ineffective.
Like many horror films, it all unfolds in a somewhat creepy and isolated house in the woods. Julia and Dan, the titular “good couple,” aren’t really doing that good. They’re supposed to be there to celebrate their anniversary, but they can’t seem to celebrate much of anything without verbally jousting. In fact, they’re in the throes of a heated argument as soon as we meet them, which results in Dan storming off in a huff into the mysterious woods. When he doesn’t return that evening, Julia gets understandably worried, but when Dan returns the next morning, she’s somewhat to surprised to see that he’s completely changed — in a good way. Although, it’s very clear from their feuding and ill-feelings that they should just break up, they do that stupid thing bad couples do: they try too hard to stay together.
However, the “good” changes in Dan are just as subjective as the film’s chosen perspective. Even though Dan is doing just about everything right, there’s some ominous goings on that surround him, which are illustrated beautifully in the film’s effectively creepy special effects. As more oddity presents itself, Julia eventually stumbles upon a dark revelation about Dan’s “good” behavior, which put their relationship to the test. This mysterious trial should hypothetically bring them closer together, but instead, it ironically introduces even more doubt and paranoia that builds up more separation. Whether the events are real or just another fantasy hardly matters though, since the viewer is given no evidence that they belong together. It’s a fun ride, but it ultimately ends with the same feeling it begins with, that these two should just go their separate ways.
There’s a clear flow and smooth Ari Aster-esque glide to the film’s direction and pacing. Aside from a few wooden moments (particularly in the opening argument), Julie Ann Earls and Alex Mandell both deliver solid performances. In addition to the Us parallels, there’s also notes of The One I Love and The Endless in Gregson’s script as well (although, it doesn’t reach the extremes of any of those films). The writing is pretty good, but it struggles finding a resolve for its mysterious happenings.
Although it unravels more and more as it pushes toward its ironic conclusion and is a bit too reminiscent of other films, A Good Couple still manages to be a pretty fun watch. There were aspects to the film we wanted to see handled a bit differently (like its ending which should have been pinched off a bit sooner), but there’s a lot of good things that make it well worth the 13 minutes it takes to watch it. If you’re attending the Dances With Films Festiva or in the Los Angeles area, you can check out A Good Couple at the Chinese Theatre. You can snag tickets here.
Rating: 3.5 doppelgängers outta 5.
What do you think? We want to know. Share your thoughts and feelings in the comments section below, and as always, remember to viddy well!