Shiva Baby (2020)

Director: Emma Seligman
Stars: Rachel Sennott, Molly Gordon, Polly Draper
Runtime: 77 minutes

Synopsis: At a Jewish funeral service with her parents, a college student runs into her sugar daddy.

Verdict: Led by an exceptionally likable lead portrayed by the talented Rachel Sennott, ‘Shiva Baby’ marks a quite impressive feature-length directorial debut for young director Emma Seligman (only 26 years of age!) despite a fair share of frustrating decisions in its execution. The one-location comedy combines the awkwardness of family gatherings with the discomfort of running into former and present romantic partners but fails to project that tense sensation in a persuasive way, opting instead to limit itself to a repetitive score and monotonous dramatic cuts. The few conveniences and tropes found in the script, however, never stood in the way of its robustness, paving the way for a very light and pleasant 77-minute watch.

A quick side note, I also used to watch Glee when I was younger and Dianna Agron’s in it, so that was an unexpected plus.

FINAL GRADE: 7/10