For the most part, I found Social to be a very silly film. There are some characters and moments that stood out to me. Director Miles Triplett plays Gary’s therapist and pushes comedic boundaries to the limit with a no-nonsense therapy style. Josephine Sun as Tracey is similarly fun as the aggressively honest and drill sergeant-type friend of Kayla’s. The actor makes quite a presence when she’s onscreen. There’s a moment in the middle when our protagonists beat down Kayla’s boyfriend that made me laugh out loud.
There are profound moments at the end that were needed to bring closure to the story and ground it. But when you have a silly comedy, swinging the pendulum too far to the serious side makes it hard to take these moments seriously. That duality of tones means certain scenes don’t always land as intended.
The movie comes from the emerging SVS Productions founded by Miles Triplett. SVS is producing films at a fast pace, and the experience is valuable. Social is not a perfect movie by any means. While it has that DIY feel, it shows that Triplett and company can make movies, and it’s clear nothing is going to stop Triplett from making them.
“…pushes comedic boundaries to the limit with a no-nonsense therapy style.”
The only way to make great films is to keep producing cinematic ventures. The acting could have been better. Introverted characters are hard to portray, and Champion finds that right balance of energy. While a little rough initially, Champion and Bond find a good groove by the end.
Social also runs a little too long. It needed to be 90 minutes. Some of the more reflective moments, in the beginning, could be tightened. It has funny moments, but the silliness got a little too out of control, which is generally a sign of too much riffing or not waiting to edit for the story’s sake. This energy needed to be harnessed and focused. Comedies need more great moments as opposed to a steady stream of silly ones.
Social is one of the first steps of a very long journey for Miles Triplett and SVS Productions. I can’t wait to see where they go next.
"…can't wait to see where they go next."
