Happily is a super fun dark comedy that will have you laughing along and speculating from the very beginning.
Happily does right by the dark comedy genre. This movie will fill viewers with suspense and have them speculating about what is truly going on, while laughing almost the whole time. This is largely in part due to the fantastic casting job because Joel McHale and Kerry Bishe crush their roles. From the very beginning I believed them, and I was behind them one hundred percent — even if their lovey dovey stuff almost made me sick to my stomach.
Happily focuses on a couple that is so in love it makes their friends uncomfortable. After being married for 14 years Tom and Janet still cannot keep their hands off of each other, to the point where their friends think they must be pod people because this just isn’t normal. They almost never fight and when they do,, they forgive each other within in minutes. This behavior is so strange that their friends uninvite them to a couples weekend away because they just don’t want to see it.
When a strange man shows up at their door claiming they both have a defect, and them being together is a terrible, terrible mistake, things take a turn for the worse. He gives them a briefcase with syringes full of an unknown substance that should have them acting normal. The whole encounter ends with a dead body — and a re-invite to the weekend away where they must decide to act like everything is perfectly fine.
What Works In Happily
What works in Happily? Two words. Joel McHale. Another two words. Kerry Bishe. These two have such incredible chemistry on screen that it was very easy to believe they are head over heels in love, even after 14 years of marriage, and lusting after each other daily. I have been married for 10 years and I am telling you, that is a feat. The supporting characters are great too, even though most of them are underused — I will get to that a bit later.
There are some breathtaking shots in this movie that had me really appreciating the cinematography. The one in the bathroom at the beginning with the red lighting, pictured above, is very well done. There are a few much later on that I cannot discuss because it could spoil the movie, but when you watch, I think you could pick out what they are.
Probably my favorite part about this movie is the humor. It is sprinkled throughout the suspensefulness in the film and there are several one liners that had me cackling. There is on about a puzzle that will have me laughing every single time I hear those words for the rest of my life — just wait for it.
What Doesn’t Work In Happily
I am going to say it — Breckin Meyer is so underused in this movie. He only pops in here and there for an occasional one liner and that made me quite sad. He has proved his talent in many things, especially as a lead in Franklin & Bash, so I was really disappointed to see him barely be a part of this film.
The hilarious Charlyne Yi, who plays his girlfriend, is also underused. I would say that Stephen Root is also a bit scarce in this movie, but that works for his role in it, so I will allow it. I still would have liked a bit more of him.
While Happily did have me wondering what was actually going on, and trying to put together the pieces of the larger puzzle, it is a bit predictable. With about thirty minutes left in the movie I had almost completely figured it all out, and there was just one part at the end that surprised me (a great twist by the way).
Overall Thoughts
If you are a fan of dark comedies, you will likely really enjoy Happily. It is a whole lot of fun and will have you trying to figure it all out from almost the very beginning. The ending is a bit predictable, but there are some decent twists along the way to make up for that.
The standout of this film is the incredible cast that makes it an absolute joy to watch. Despite its flaws, it is still more than worth watching. If you are not a fan of blood, don’t worry, there isn’t a whole ton of it in this movie. It focuses more on the story and viewers are sure to come out of it knowing that no one is perfect.
About Happily
After 14 years of marriage, Tom and Janet still can’t keep their hands off each other. When they discover their friends are resentful of their constant public displays of affection, the couple start to question the loyalty of everyone around them. Then, a visit from a mysterious stranger thrusts them into an existential crisis, leading to a dead body, a lot of questions and a very tense vacation.
In Theaters, On Digital & On Demand March 19th 2021.
Tessa Smith is a Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer-approved Film and TV Critic. On Camera personality and TV / Film Critic with 10+ years of experience in video editing, writing, editing, moderating, and hosting.