Somebody I Used to Know, the latest film project from CalArts alum Alison Brie (Theater BFA 05), debuts on Prime Video on Friday, Feb. 10. Directed by Dave Franco and co-written by Franco and Brie, the film is an unconventional love story about three people who help each other along their journeys of (re)descovery.
Brie stars as TV showrunner Ally who runs back to her hometown after some devastating career news. She spends an evening reminiscing with an old boyfriend Sean (Jay Ellis) and begins to question her life and her decisions. Does she want her old life back? When Ally meets his fiancée Cassidy (Kiersey Clemons), things get even more confusing as Cassidy’s confidence and creativity remind Ally of who she used to be. The ensemble cast is rounded out by Haley Joel Osment, Danny Pudi, Julie Hagerty, and Amy Sedaris.
The film plays with rom-com tropes, harkening back to films such as My Best Friend’s Wedding (1997) with Julia Roberts and Dermot Mulroney. In her review, Variety’s Courtney Howard writes that the film’s romantic comedy beats are “cleverly cloaked by a beautifully-realized portrait of delicately faceted characters and their relatable conundrums.”
Howard also singles out Brie’s work: “Brie gives a well-calibrated performance filled with vulnerability and vigor. She nimbly negotiates the material’s shifting comedic and melodramatic notes, making Ally’s infrequent mean actions feel realistic and her redemptive arc ring true.”
Brie is a recognizable actor for her work as Trudy Campbell in the AMC drama series Mad Men, as Annie Edison in the NBC sitcom Community, and for playing Ruth Wilder in the comedy-drama series GLOW on Netflix.
Somebody I Used to Know marks Franco and Brie’s fourth collaboration, following The Little Hours, The Disaster Artist, and The Rental. The duo also serve as executive producers on the film.
