In I Don’t Understand You, a couple’s disastrous adoption journey in Italy spirals into a hilarious, dark horror-comedy. Andrew Rannells and Nick Kroll shine amidst the chaos.
One wouldn’t necessarily think of Andrew Rannells and Nick Kroll as couple material. However, once you watch I Don’t Understand You, you’ll wonder why that is, because it seems like they should have always been playing a couple.
I Don’t Understand You is a film that takes you on a wild ride of the worst decisions possible. How much worse can it get, you’ll ask, and the answer will always be the same: Worse. Basically, whatever kind of bad day you’re having, it can’t be worse than theirs. And it’s on their anniversary!
Originally premiering at SXSW in March, the destination horror comedy from Brian Crano and David Craig mirrors their own real-life experiences while trying to adopt a child, though theirs had a much-less-bloody ending. Indeed, the soft romance that is at the heart of this film is the kind of romance that comes from real, actualized love. It cements who these two are and teases how their bond holds up throughout the course of the film.
In I Don’t Understand You, Cole (Rannells) and Dom (Kroll) are looking to adopt a baby and are…not handling the stressful process well. Once-burned from an adoption scam, they both are a little more wary and a little more weary this time around.
We are introduced to them self-taping a video application for adoption, a scene that sets the tone for their dynamic. They’re nervous and awkward, quick to play off things for jokes, but they never get mad at each other. In fact, their video is so honest that it catches the attention of Candace (Amanda Seyfried), the pregnant woman they were filming it for before they go to Italy.
It is no understatement to say that much of the film hinges on the comedic timing between Rannells and Kroll. They play off of each other impeccably. Nothing is ever “over the top”—or, more so than usual. Rather, their separate brands of comedy feel tailor-made for their characters.
When they make it to Italy they’re trying as hard as they can to relax and enjoy their vacation, but no amount of “babe”s (and there are, adorably, a lot) can fully mask their stress. When a family friend makes them reservations at a restaurant, they decide to go, mostly just to please him.
Now, stuck in a foreign country where they can’t understand a thing anybody is saying, Cole and Dom are faced with a series of questions: Will they become fathers? Will they make it through the night? Will they face jail time in a foreign country where they don’t speak the language?
Crano and Craig give us a wonderfully dark, wonderfully hilarious film. It’s something for the horror fans and the rom-com fans, because, let’s face it: Is there truly nothing more romantic than knowing your partner is there for you in more than just sickness and health?
Don’t miss our interviews from the I Don’t Understand You red carpet premiere.
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About I Don’t Understand You
An American couple, on the verge of adopting a baby, goes on an Italian vacation — an opportunity to reconnect before the new addition arrives. Everything is picture-perfect; the epitome of a European baby moon, when things begin to spiral out of control.
On the way to dinner, they get their rental car stuck in a ditch and are stranded in rural nowhere in a downpour. These two Americans, who are used to being catered to, are now in a foreign land without service, an Italian language comprehension of about zero, and clear relationship turmoil that could explode at any minute. Fear obviously takes over.
I Don’t Understand You is now playing in theaters.
