Post-SXSW 2020: I Used To Go Here Review

For those who didn’t already know, this year’s SXSW was cancelled do the coronavirus outbreak. We at KLM are still here to do our part to help cover films slated to appear at this year’s festival. To keep up with our latest post-SXSW coverage, click here.

Kris Rey was essentially one of the founding mothers of the mumblecore movement in the 2000s. Alongside figures like Joe Swanberg, Greta Gerwig, the Duplass brothers and plenty more, Rey was involved in many of the great films of the era. With I Used To Go Here, she has her highest profile film yet – one featuring/developed by the likes of Gillian Jacobs, Jemaine Clement and The Lonely Island. Without a doubt, Rey proves here that she can thrive at any scale of filmmaking, leaving us tremendously excited to see what is in her near future.

Everything about the story, writing and filmmaking here is absolutely brilliant. Something about Rey and her team’s craft here is immaculate, and the creativity and passion just bleeds through the screen. It’s beautifully shot, the sets feel so lived in and just everything external from the content feels so fresh in a way that cannot be described. The writing has such an incredibly strong authenticity, but also understands the silliness of the situation at hand, taking tremendous advantage of that for such a uniquely interesting tone. Whether it focuses on a heartfelt sentiment about relationships or satire of the college party lifestyle, it all feels natural. This thing is absolutely hysterical, too! It’s too bad that this wasn’t able to screen at SXSW – because this feels like the type of film that have the audience at the ZACH roaring with laughter. See this with a crowd if you can!

The ensemble here is quite impeccable, too. This eclectic mix of character actors and up-and-coming young performers all feels so authentic, as if you’re simply watching their lives unfold on screen. In addition, their collective balances between the sentimentality and deadpan is unparalleled, truly emphasizing the talent of each individual performer. Particularly, Gillian Jacobs’s performance as Kate is unreal – you’re probably used to seeing her as a character performer, but don’t be surprised if she leads everything in the distant future.

In the end, I Used To Go Here is a type of film that can’t be justified in words in this fashion. It’s the type of film that’s hard to review, but in the best possible way. After all, it’s hard to articulate a feeling this magical in only this many words.

*still courtesy of SXSW*

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