Coda
Comedy, Short Films, 05-Dec-2019
During a bachelorette weekend at a cabin in the woods, Wendy is forced to confront the one-sided relationship with her best friend Kristin. Zoe Jarman writes, directs and stars in “Coda,” an exceedingly cringe-worthy comedy about feeling unimportant to those you thought were close friends. Though she planned the whole trip for the group, Wendy is treated like dirt by the soon-to-be-married Kristin and her gang of newer friends (who seem to have established a deeper bond). Wendy stands aside as everyone hate-watches a dumb reality TV show — eventually she tries to engage but has a different read altogether on who the villains of the show are supposed to be (“wow, my instincts are way off”). When it’s time for bed, things get even worse for Wendy as she somehow gets left out of the sleep arrangement discussion, leading to a ludicrous solution. The deadpan Jarman is hilarious as the mistreated Wendy (as is Stephanie Allynne as the cruel Kristin), and the film keeps doubling down on its nightmarish slights, registering as a sharp-witted exploration of codependency. Written, directed by, and starring Zoe Jarman. Starring Stephanie Allynne, Angela Featherstone. Director of Photography: Arlene Muller. Editor: Allison Greenwood. Produced by Can't Not Productions: Duke Doyle, Corbitt Howard, Genevieve Jones, Gabe Jewell and Rich Monahan. Score: The Blasting Company.