‘Basic’ SXSW Review: Ashley Park and Leighton Meester Bond Over Toxic Relationship Anxieties in a Charming Rom-Com
“Basic” is a zany, heartrending short-turned-feature centered on two women carrying deep seated relationship insecurities that’s far more complex than its pithy title suggests. Writer-director Chelsea Devantez’s witty, wisdom-filled musings tap into relatable angst dealing with toxic social media practices and women’s self-sabotaging tendencies, exploring the method behind the madness and ruminating on how to grow from our unhealthy behaviors. Cute but never cloying, the romantic comedy’s good-natured humor and heart connect in a smart, refreshingly unfussy manner.
Lately, Gloria (Ashley Park) has been keeping herself up at night. She’s not losing sleep over sensitive late night talks or non-stop sex with her handsome boyfriend Nick (Taylor John Smith). No, she’s spiraling over his hot ex-girlfriend Kaylinn’s (Leighton Meester) picture perfect Instagram account, which includes copious photos of the previously happy couple. Though Kaylinn and Nick have been broken up for quite some time, Gloria is plagued by the dreaded ex’s continued presence in his replies and a sneaking suspicion Nick might be sending her coded messages. This obsession with another woman has also bled into her daily life, as she hyper-fixates in her office at work and turns down get-togethers with her colleagues.
Instead of having a rational conversation with Nick, Gloria lashes out and the two split. Her sadsack solution on the path towards healing from their bad breakup – beyond getting day drunk and hibernating in her apartment with junk food – includes poring over memories of her own past lousy relationships, in addition to Insta-stalking Kaylinn. Mayhem ensues after she accidentally likes one of her enemy’s posts. In order to rectify the situation, Gloria plans to confront her unwitting adversary at a local trivia night, where Kaylinn is playing host. But what she isn’t aware of is that Kaylinn already knows who Gloria is – primarily that she’s Nick’s new girlfriend. The gals’ night together becomes an illuminating, madcap journey, transforming their feud into friendship.
Devantez (who also serves as a producer and co-star, playing a wacky divorcee with an embarrassing phoenix tattoo that gives Ben Affleck’s a run for its money) walks us through some well-trodden territory with her “enemies become friends” storyline. However, the way in which she tells her tale feels personally meaningful, filling the frame with vibrancy and empathy, in addition to shaping the story with well-drawn, dynamic female protagonists who have more in common than just a man. It adopts a few of the tenets of “Bridesmaids” where we see why each of these women are special in their unique way and how they complement the person at the center of their conflict. While Nick’s character isn’t nearly as fleshed out as the two women, and we’re not given many reasons to root for him to return to Gloria’s life, he’s at least given a sweet, redemptive movie moment that amplifies the leads’ intertwining arcs.
Incorporating magical realism into the comedic and, at times, poignant overtones can be a tricky feat, but Devantez and company do it with great craft and care. Levity acts as a conduit for open-hearted vulnerability. Drew Van Steenbergen’s montages have a light-hearted, heightened energy. The gags within those segments are decidedly silly, turning up the volume on the ladies’ imagined insecurities. The strongest vignettes capture Gloria, Kaylinn and her bestie squad – Zuri (Ashley Nicole Black), Mallory (Kenzie Elizabeth) and Ashton Culture (Kandy Muse) – at their most confident, hanging out in the wee hours of the morning, meeting up at a drag bar and snapping pics on the street for the ‘gram. From the neon-lit nightlife to the warm, golden-hour daytime glow, Veronica Bouza’s saturated cinematography gives the proceedings a girlie-pop edge.
Kat Sass’ costume design and Sally Levi’s production design subtly enhance the players and their playgrounds. The characters inhabit a colorful world filled with all shades of emotions, where blue hues conjure sympathy, reds denote Gloria’s sultry rage and varying washes of bubblegum pinks symbolize Kaylinn’s youthful femininity that she’s trying maybe a bit too hard to cling to. Kaylinn’s wardrobe and frosty makeup speak to her thirsty, desperate inauthenticity, dressing for likes rather than comfort.
Though it takes a beat for us to warm up to Gloria’s self-sabotaging, corrosive plight, Park softens the harsher edges of the material. She instills Gloria’s weary, bruised soul with plenty of warmth and rootable pathos. Meester has the tougher gig, getting us to like her after being initially introduced as the villain. She delivers a charismatic, hilarious and tender performance, excelling when delivering punchlines as a part of a stand-up act, as well as in heart-to-hearts with Park. The duo share great chemistry. Nelson Franklin, playing a bartender, and Amber Ruffin, playing a grocery store cashier, add a funny, brisk energy to the proceedings. But in terms of the film’s supporting cast, it’s a magnetic Muse who runs away with the spotlight.
The underlying theme of finding inner strength through friendship is, of course, a powerful one. Yet it’s Devantez’s sentiment that there are no real mistakes, only opportunities to mature from wrong-headed actions, that hits right in the heart, elevating the narrative and leading to a genuinely sweet final note. It slots comfortably into the trending (to borrow the TikTok catchphrase) “Girl Who Is ‘Going To Be Okay’” subgenre, doubling our satisfying return on emotional investment as there are two heroines recalculating the courses of their lives. The women showcased are anything but basic, and so is this film.
