Intelligent, sexy ‘Threesome’ triples your pleasure
Three goes into one satisfying rom-com sporting the apt moniker of “The Threesome.” It stars Zoey Deutch, Ruby Cruz and Jonah Hauer-King as participants in a most unusual love triangle that grows more complicated than the trio expects in the wake of their drunken one-night stand.
Expertly directed by Chad Hartigan (the delightful “Morris from America”), “The Threesome” slyly sweeps you along on a continually surprising journey in which complacency is replaced by responsibility in the blink of an eye. But Deutch’s Olivia, Cruz’s Jenny and Hauer-King’s Connor don’t step willingly into this inconceivable world of obligation and duty. They love living the la vida loca, an existence where love and commitment are a goal, but hardly a priority.
At first, it’s hard to tell if Ethan Oligby’s astute script is being critical of stuck millennials or celebrating their refusal to conform to societal expectations of adulthood. The handsome, affable Connor is the only one with a “real” job, working as a recording engineer in, of all places, Little Rock, Arkansas. His mad crush, the cynical, elusive Olivia, is still waitressing at the waterhole where he once worked beside her. And Jenny is what might be called “a professional grad student” who still lives with her straight-arrow, politically conservative parents, Paul (Robert Longstreet) and Evelyn (Ardin Myrin).
Then, “it” happens. On a slow night when Olivia is delivering drinks poured by Connor’s gay best friend, Greg (scene-stealer Jaboukie Young-White), Connor and Jenny wander into the establishment separately. Right behind them is Olivia’s secret lover, Kevin (Josh Segarra) and his wife. Awkward! Knowing this, Greg smartly urges Connor to go hit on Jenny, who’s been stood up by her date. The two strangers instantly hit it off, an attraction that doesn’t go unnoticed by a somewhat jealous Olivia, who not-so-coyly decides to insert herself into their conversation.
After several drinks and a seductive dance or two, the three head back to Connor’s place, where a not-so-innocent game of truth or dare evolves into an X-rated three-for-all. Cut to the next morning, when Connor awakens next to Jenny, long after Olivia quietly slipped away. But her absence doesn’t deter Connor and Jenny from jumping into the shower together, leading to an impromptu session of unprotected sex. But Connor’s heart still belongs to Olivia, even if she doesn’t particularly want it.
Undeterred, he makes one last play for her the next night. Because they had so much fun with Jenny, she agrees to a “real” date. Well, that was the original plan. Instead of painting the town, the two find themselves filling in as emergency babysitters for Olivia’s fully domesticated sister, Maya (Kristin Slaysman), and her husband, Roger (Allan McLeod). One glance at Connor soothing the wild beasts that are her niece and nephew, and for the first time, Olivia finds him irresistible.
So, we’re off on what initially feels like a traditional rom-com, complete with musical montage, googly-eyed exchanges and discussions of marriage. But we’re only 30 minutes in. This can’t be the end of it. And it’s not, as out of the blue, Jenny reappears. I will say no more (although the trailer lazily gives it away) because the less you know about what happens next, the more enjoyable the ride. And believe me, you won’t want to miss it. That’s because what ensues is smart, perceptive and involving, as “The Threesome” dares to explore unfamiliar territory in which shit suddenly gets real.
Except for a few missteps in which the filmmakers stretch credulity to the breaking point, the movie breezes along, rising in complexity. It’s also not afraid to weigh in on some of the politics of the day. Still, what holds your rapt attention is the high level of excellence maintained by the entire ensemble. We expect it from Deutch and Julia Sweeney as Connor’s adorable mom, Suzanne. But it’s also the large collection of unknowns who help bring it together, with Cruz leading the way with a star-making turn in which she unassumingly sneaks up on you, rendering Jenny far more than just “the other woman.”
The amount of warmth and charm she generates is invaluable to the film’s success. And her chemistry with both Deutch and Hauer-King is off the charts. More importantly, she never seems like the third wheel. She’s every bit the equal of her co-stars, who generate jolts of electricity themselves.
Together, they make for a thoroughly engaging trio, capable of answering everything Ogilby’s tricky script demands. They even keep you pondering their characters’ fates, right up to the final reveal. And when that moment arrives, Hartigan and company not only stick the landing, but they also have you on the verge of swoon. It’s not perfect, but it’s close, an amalgamation of familiar rom-com beats recontextualized into something so original it enables this “Threesome” to stand alone.
Movie review
The Threesome
Rated: R for brief drug use, sexual material and language
Cast: Zoey Deutch, Ruby Cruz, Jonah Hauer-King, Jaboukie Young-White, Julia Sweeney, Josh Segarra, Robert Longstreet and Ardin Myrin
Director: Chad Hartigan
Writer: Ethan Ogilby
Runtime: 112 minutes
Where: In theaters Sept. 5 (limited)
Grade: B
