Movies
Quick Thoughts On “The Boy Downstairs”
Here on Stanko’s Stance, we are going to be going through a bit of a stretch of films that lived on my watchlist for a long time before finally watching them.
“A young woman is forced to reflect on her first relationship when she inadvertently moves into her boyfriend’s apartment building.”
Director: Sophie Brooks
Writer: Sophie Brooks
Starring: Zosia Mamet, Matthew Shear, Deirdre O’Connell, Sarah Ramos
Release Date: February 16, 2017
IMDB
Here on Stanko’s Stance, we are going to be going through a bit of a stretch of films that lived on my watchlist for a long time before finally watching them. Let’s take a break from the Oscar contenders and award winners and watch some smaller projects.
The first film finally knocked off the ever growing viewing queue is The Boy Downstairs (2018).
Diana (Zosia Mamet) is a young writer trying to get back on her feet on the cobblestone streets of Brooklyn. The last time she was in the city she was dating Ben (Matthew Shear), an awkward glasses-wearing boy who wanted the classic long-term relationship and happy romance. Diana made the decision to break things off with Ben because she wanted to move to London and didn’t want distractions or commitments to hinder her potential writing career.
Three years later, after the stint in London didn’t work out as well as she would have hoped, Diana is hunting for an apartment and an inspiration for life. Her attempt at a newfound approach to life hits an unforeseen pothole when she realizes that Ben, her ex, is living downstairs. To make matters a bit more awkward, Meg (Sarah Ramos), the realtor who showed Diana the apartment, is dating Ben.
To summarize it quickly: Diana dated Ben. Diana ended it with Ben. Diana’s stint overseas wasn’t as fulfilling as she hoped, so she returned home. She is shown an apartment by Meg, and she takes the place. Diana finds out that Ben is living downstairs, and that he is dating the women who convinced her to sign there.
The Boy Downstairs takes these stakes and shines that spotlight on Diana and her attempt to figure out her shit. There are moments of harsh reflection and deflection, all of which play out dramatically and put additional characters in the crosshairs of Diana’s indecisiveness.
Is The Boy Downstairs going to alter your life? No, absolutely not. Is The Boy Downstairs going to pass the time as a solid background movie? Perhaps. To call the movie a romantic comedy is a bit generous because there aren’t a ton of laughs to go along with drama and heartbreaks. But with that being said, The Boy Downstairs has a few positives in it that make it worth watching if one wants to get all up in their feels for a short period of time.
The best character in the movie isn’t any of the main characters. It’s not a character that’s central to the plot, but it is one that’s crucial to making the viewing experience a happy one.
Deirdre O’Connell plays Amy, the owner and resident of the apartment building. A former actress who still loves the arts, Amy connects with Diana and patiently listens to her new neighbor and she expunges her emotions and stories about her past life and current struggles.
Amy is crucial to The Boy Downstairs and the success of it hinges the performance of Deirdre O’Connell. While Diana is overdramatic and over-the-top in many of her decisions, O’Connell is the elder who approaches life as it comes. Rolling with the punches. She has dealt with heartbreak but has chosen not to let it define her. She has made decisions she regrets but chooses to learn from them rather than drown in them.
The rest of the performances are fine. They aren’t good, nor are they bad. For those who have seen The Alienist, then Matthew Shear will be a face you remember. Also a good show for those who have not seen it.
What draws me into The Boy Downstairs is that it’s a movie that focuses on coming to grips with decisions from your past. These sort of introspective movies are easy to relate to because who doesn’t have an experience they second guess for their entire life? Coming to grips with a decision you’ve made is about context. It could have been right in the time, but wrong in the future. Or vice versa. The hook for The Boy Downstairs is that It’s not often one’s biggest romantic regret ends up being your next door neighbor.
The Boy Downstairs won’t take you away to a magical palace of cinematic wonderment, but it’ll keep you engaged and maybe ask you to think about a thing or too.
The Boy Downstairs is streaming on Hulu.
STANKO RATING: B-
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