Today’s theory is that dark comedies have a short shelf life. I’m trying to recall my favorite dark comedies of all time — Heathers, Kind Hearts and Coronets, Dr. Strangelove. Does anyone ever watch these films? With at least two current nuclear nations headed by myopic morons, Dr. Strangelove is equally as relevant today as when it was first made 53 years ago. This should be playing 24/7 on cable until the United States finds a new leader. But it isn’t. I think dark comedies don’t last because eventually the joke isn’t funny … or it required a certain frame of reference to be appreciated properly. That all said, today’s film either missed a window or hasn’t found one yet. I don’t doubt that there is perhaps wicked humor within the topic of stalking, and once Ingrid Goes West finds it, I’ll be on board.
Heartbroken “friend” Ingrid Thorburn (Aubrey Plaza) crashes a wedding to mace the bride in the opening scene. She wasn’t invited. Gee, I wonder why. This a faux pas along the highest order, yes? I mean taking away a bride’s right to ruin her own wedding? You’ve immediately restricted audience appeal to the Table 19 crowd. Some months of rehab later, Ingrid is out and ready to do it all over again. What exactly did rehab do for her? The scary part of the macing incident
is that Ingrid really didn’t know the target very well; it could have been any bride who just happened to give Ingrid mild Instagram attention. Was Ingrid’s “can’t do” spirit influenced by the death of her own mother? Maybe. Two plot points immediately follow: Ingrid spots a new target (er, “friend!” I mean “friend!”) in a magazine ad and collects $60k in inheritance. It’s damage time!
Taylor Sloane (Elizabeth Olsen) is the girl your therapist warned you about – attractive and airy, sure, but phony as a campaign promise and down-to-Earth as the moon. Ingrid doesn’t care; she just loves the updates about Joshua Tree retreats and kale surprise. And so taken is she that’s she is … taken, to Taylor’s home city of Venice Beach that is. Next step is finding a place to live where we meet her landlord and future punching bag, the Batman obsessed Dan (O’Shea Jackson Jr.) I have never quite felt as sorry for a movie character as I did for Dan. If I ever see this film again, I will plead, plead, plead for Dan to tell Ingrid the room is already occupied.
Next step … hmmmm, how do you get close to a giant dip with 3k Instagram fans? The “showing up in random places and hoping nature lends a hand” thing doesn’t seem to be working. I know *snaps fingers* steal her dog and give it back under the “good Samaritan” guise. It’s a can’t miss, and of course, it doesn’t. Soon, the flaky Taylor has a new bff! And I totally recommend the Flaky Taylor with a side of vanilla ice cream. Can’t be beat. Ingrid Goes West is a film you just have to endure until you can no longer. I’m pretty sure everybody with a soul has an Ingrid breaking point; I think mine was the introduction of Taylor’s brother Nicky (Billy Magnussen), a reptilian creature so vile you’ll actually start rooting for the stalker.
Ingrid Goes West had two very valid points to make: the first being that Taylor in her own way is just as shallow, fake, and 
vapid as Ingrid, she just got there first. The second and more important one is that social media relationships are poor indicators of actual emotion. We all know this and yet we still attach values to public emojis.
My question after all this fog is: where do you go with this, Ingrid? Besides “West,” that is? In every movie, there is a plot. Well, most movies, at least. The hero sets about a quest of some sort with a chance of success and chance of failure. I’m not sure what Ingrid’s quest is in that there is a 0% chance that she will be successful in the long run at whatever it is she’s doing. There is no possible way this film will end with Ingrid’s falseness and stalkiness not being called out and trashed. Nobody likes a stalker. Not even stalkers. So what’s the end game, I-phony? And what are we the audience rooting for, because what’s on screen will not work. I have a soft spot for queen-of-scorn Aubrey Plaza and a soft spot for dark comedies, but this one felt very empty.
In lieu of a song parody for this one, I thought I might honor the film by passing off some bubble gum trash pop as my own. So, here’s my new and original composition: “Oops, I Did It Again”
♪I think I did it again
I made you believe we’re more than just friends
Oh baby
It might seem like a crush
But it doesn’t mean that I’m serious
‘Cause to lose all my senses
That is just so typically me
Oh baby, baby
Oops, I did it again
I played with your heart, got lost in the game
Oh baby, baby
Oops, you think I’m in love
That I’m sent from above
I’m not that innocent♫
Rated R, 97 Minutes
Director: Matt Spicer
Writer: David Branson Smith, Matt Spicer
Genre: The lighter side of stalking
Type of being most likely to enjoy this film: Stalkers
Type of being least likely to enjoy this film: Stalkees
