Untitled Home Invasion Romance
Jason Biggs directs a relationship genre bender in Untitled Home Invasion Romance. Separating after a year of marriage, Kevin and Suzie take off for a weekend to try to rekindle the flame. Things are complicated from the start, as the secret location is Suzie’s childhood lake house. What she also doesn’t know is that Kevin plans to recreate a grander version of the night he and Suzie met. Only, rather than saving her from two Wall Street douchebags, he stages a fake break-in to play hero. But, best laid plans, right? Small mistakes create a domino effect of absolute mayhem and skeletons in the closet.
Jamie Napoli and Joshua Paul Johnson cleverly wrap comedy around Suzie’s unknown childhood trauma, introducing friends from her past. They place Kevin entirely out of his depth socially. Suzie grew up in incredibly affluent circles, and clues about her life before Kevin reel the audience into the twisty narrative. You’re laughing and questioning everything you see. Each scene reveals something new. When the tension builds to a peak, here comes Biggs to make you laugh out loud.
Anna Konkle, who I miss with my whole heart on PEN15, plays Heather, Suzue’s childhood best friend and current chief of police. Konkle is down to Earth, incredibly charming, and inarguably the most competent member of her force. Her micro-expressions speak volumes.
Meaghan Rath gives Suzie a straight-laced confidence. She is extremely comfortable in her emotional turmoil and is a fantastic foil for Biggs. Speaking of, Jason Biggs plays Kevin, whose hopeful aura quickly turns manic. Biggs blesses us with his keen physical comedy talents. Napoli and Johnson give him all the goods to shine both as Kevin and a director. 
The location is stunning. The lake house is the stuff of dreams, with tennis courts, a multilevel dock, and floor-to-ceiling windows. Mollie Goldstein‘s editing is top-notch. Camerawork from Zach Kuperstein is a phenomenal mix of styles, keeping the audience thoroughly engaged. After years in the industry, Biggs easily slides into the director’s chair. I am excited to see what he chooses next.
Untitled Home Invasion Romance flips the script on relationship films and small-town mysteries in all the best ways. Act 3 is genuinely shocking. In no universe will the audience be able to predict the chaos. It is eerily *spoiler alert- Gone Girl coded.* This is a ridiculously fun and undeniably dark film.
Untitled Home Invasion Romance Trailer:
Untitled Home Invasion Romance is now available on digital here!
Jason Biggs plays Phil, a documentary filmmaker whose conscious ways heavy on him. The Subject is aptly named. Phil made a film about a black 15-year-old whose murder is caught on tape, by him. It’s been two years, he’s worried that Malcolm’s death means nothing back in Harlem. He’s onto his next project but cannot shake the guilt of possible exploitation, nor can the press. His girlfriend wants him to get over it, but Phil tries really hard to do the right thing. After finally attempting to move forward, the other shoe drops. Someone begins filming him.
Anabelle Acosta as girlfriend Jess is very compelling. There is a lot to learn from their relationship dynamic and it comes into play heavily. Carra Patterson as Marley is quite the catalyst for chaos. She gives off a Maya Rudolph vibe and I dug her energy throughout. Nile Bullock’s performance as Malcolm is exactly where the audience needs him to be; balancing the line of an arrogant teen and an innocent child. Jason Biggs is better than ever. He plays Phil with an understanding of power and guilt. It’s stunning. Aunjanue Ellis plays Malcolm’s mother, Leslie. The scenes between her and Biggs are explosive. She represents so many mothers who lose their children to violence. Her performance is the culmination of everything in this film. Cutting through mansplaining and truth, everything leads up to these moments. The Subject is phenomenal in its storytelling. It’s a must-see film. Harlem International Film Festival was a fitting home for its Manhattan premiere. The film has an ending you will not see coming. Congratulations to director Lanie Zipoy and everyone involved in making this film.
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