What is ‘I Used To Be Funny’ about? Plot of Ally Pankiw’s feature debut explained
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: 'I Used To Be Funny', writer-director Ally Pankiw's feature debut, recently premiered at the 2023 South by Southwest Film and TV Festival. The movie tells the tale of a stand-up comedian, Sam, who is suffering from PTSD and debating whether or not she should join the hunt for a young girl, Brooke, whom she used to nanny.
According to the reviews following the film's premiere at the SXSW 2023 festival, the film is less about the disappearance of the young girl Brooke and more about how traumatic experiences in people's lives drain them of all the happiness and joy they once had.
READ MORE
What is the plot of ‘I Used To Be Funny’?
Sam, a stand-up comedian, is in need of some extra money. She takes on an au pair job for a wealthy but ruptured family, where she meets Brooke, who is defined as emotionally thoughtful and perceptive and is protected from her mother's terminal illness by her aunt and father.
Sam is introduced as someone who is suffering from PTSD so extreme she can no longer write jokes or perform live, both of which she once enjoyed. The viewer is not told what her trauma is, but she now appears to believe she is not funny and struggles with everyday tasks. When Brooke goes missing, Sam realizes she may be the only one who can find her, so she debates whether she should help or not. The bond between Sam and Brooke is heartening, as is the fact that, despite not being connected by blood, the two of them easily come across as family.
The film also shows how PTSD affects not only the person experiencing it but all those around them as well. Sam's friends Paige and Philip can console her while also providing a reality check, which can be seen as a modern take on friendship that is endearing to watch.
The movie comes out in March 2023.