Humpday (2009)
Average Rating: 6.7/10
Reviews Counted: 132
Fresh: 104 | Rotten: 28
Observant and insightful, this indie comedy takes a different tack on the "bromance" but still makes a point without sermonizing.
Average Rating: 6.8/10
Critic Reviews: 35
Fresh: 29 | Rotten: 6
Observant and insightful, this indie comedy takes a different tack on the "bromance" but still makes a point without sermonizing.
liked it
Average Rating: 3/5
User Ratings: 18,385
My Rating
Movie Info
My Effortless Brilliance writer/director Lynn Shelton takes the topic of male bonding to new extremes with this comedy about two best friends who make an unusual pact that both may soon come to regret. Back in college, Andrew and Ben were inseparable. Years later, Andrew comes knocking on Ben's door and discovers that his former roommate is all grown up -- married and planning to have a baby. Meanwhile, Andrew never settled down at all, and has spent the past decade partying and traveling the
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Cast
-
Mark Duplass
Ben -
Joshua Leonard
Andrew -
Alycia Delmore
Anna -
Lynn Shelton
Monica -
Trina Willard
Lily -
Steven Schardt
Disgruntled Driver
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Humpday Trailer & Photos
All Critics (132) | Top Critics (35) | Fresh (107) | Rotten (28) | DVD (4)
What finally lifts 'Humpday' above macho junk like 'The Hangover' is its all-inclusive warmth: for all their adolescent self-delusion, Shelton truly loves these characters. And after 90 minutes, so will you.
Top CriticWhat's intriguing in this set-up is what the dare might teach the guys about the nature of sexuality.
Getting to the showdown is a fine and funny journey.
The addlepated 'Humpday," wherein charcters laugh and laugh and laugh. So what's the joke?
Writer/director Lynn Shelton's sexual sitcom is a lighthearted satire of machismo and insecurity where the laughs emerge from restless, uncomfortable silences.
Humpday succeeds by grounding its risqué premise in the awkwardness and humor of real people trying their damnedest to communicate. A lot.
...gives us a real feel for a friendship, its insecurities and the competition that results (especially in one of cinema's most amusingly pathetic games of pickup basketball).
So what is Humpday really about? If anything, the power of women
While the dare itself seems almost contrived to make the movie happen, what transpires afterward is a very universal experience for people who take stock of their lives for the first time after college.
Some nice performances highlight a strangely-paced exploration of the male identity and its inability to cope with unique situations.
It's attractively performed, fairly amusing and worked out in a convincing if predictable way.
The sort of film that Kevin Smith must dream of making. It's sweet, piquant, bold and intelligent, balancing its outrageous concept with relationships and conversations that are all too believable.
One could only feel sorry for Alycia Delmore as the pliant wife of the silly husband, who goes along with his irritatingly neurotic friend's idea.
...a compelling and thoroughly original modern comedy.
Lynn Shelton's film%u2014a promising premise in search of a payoff with more nourishment than room-service steak and milkshakes%u2014frequently dazzles and delights, but once the look-alike boxers come into frame, the only verb left is disappoints.
One of the ten best home video releases of 2009, and one of the year's best films period.
What could have ended up as crass, cringy and possibly offensive actually results in a very funny and realistic treatment of the premise.
Immensely enjoyable, an insightful and humorous depiction of complicated, yet ultimately simple, male drives.
Humpday is a high-concept comedy made for low-budget money that might just be one of the funniest films of the year.
The ending of the movie is an awful let-down, which is a shame: the film had been weirdly involving and Alycia Delmore is good as Ben's outraged wife.
The film does a fair amount of squirming itself, but not before giving honest and hilarious thought to the carnal intricacies of the whole project.
Audience Reviews for Humpday
Super Reviewer
"Some loves are meant to be. This one, not so much."
I really enjoyed Humpday a lot. I should say I love these indie comedies and the mumblecore genre in particular. Humpday is one of the best you could hope to see. The clear improvisation is highly impressive. I sensed times when Alycia Delmore didn't quite know what do to, but other than that, the conversation scenes are incredibly well done. Another thing I have to say is that about 80% of the laughs that come out with this film are the result of awkwardness. If awkward humor isn' your thing; I wouldn't suggest watching this one. A lot of the humor is in moments when we sense the awkwardness between characters. I absolutely love awkwardness in comedies, so that just helped me enjoy the film all the more. I can understand Humpday not being for everyone. It could be considered to talky, but that's all mumblecore really is. It could also be viewed from the heavily conservative side as racy stuff. There's a lot of elements that could detour your enjoyment of the film, but if you can take satisfaction out of everything the movie employs, you will not be disappointed.
Now to the plot. Ben is married man, who is also trying to conceive a child. His longtime friend, Andrew walks into his life after not seeing him for years. After a night of drinking with some highly "hippish" people who were constantly talking about Humpfeast, which is a big porn festival; Andrew and Ben come up with the great idea to do a sex scene together. As the time gets closer, it obviously gets more awkward. The awkwarder the better in my opinion. This is a movie that could be viewed as trash by anyone who just looks at the surface story. From that view, all it is is an experimentation by two men, that has no real value. But if you look to the inner messages and it's views on friendship; you'll be able to get a lot more out of it. This isn't a film I would necessarily recommend to people I know. There are some people that just wouldn't give a movie with a plot like this even a chance. If you can put the plot synopsis behind you, I think you would really be surprised by the outcome. Maybe you'd even like if, as I did.
Super Reviewer
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The first scene with Ben and Anna lying in bed is almost perfect exposition. In fact, the entire first act is well-written and strongly acted. The characters' relationships are clearly set up, and the plot unfolds organically.
Humpday feels like an improvised film, and though there's a certain verisimilitude to this style, I longed for a control over the language. Also, the plot between Ben and his wife never reaches a real finish. Her third act decision is not the end of the conflict, and I think the film should have found a way to resolve her storyline.
Overall, there's a lot of good work in Humpday, a strong but flawed film.
Ov