There are sometimes films that are so odd, it is difficult to actually conceive any possible reason behind the making of it. The Overnight is one such film – an independent comedy that places focus on sexuality and relationships in a way that feels like this is mumblecore cinema’s response to the overtly sexual Carry On film series, as well as the insanely popular American Pie films (which I personally find insufferable, but that’s just my opinion), but not nearly as funny or endearing, and often far too dark, with the motivations of the characters being murky and confusingly ambiguous. To get straight to the point, Patrick Brice’s The Overnight is a very funny film, and one that boasts great performances from its quartet of leads, but still falls victim to the fact that it is often misguided and a bit too vulgar to make any notable statement, or linger in the mind of the audience for very long. It may not be a major work, nor is it a film that anyone involved in the production of it can consider to be a highlight of their careers, but it is still a film that I found to be relatively entertaining, even if it really didn’t have anything to say (and at only 79 minutes, it is a relatively painless experience).

The Overnight is about Alex (Adam Scott) and his wife Emily (Taylor Schilling) who have just moved to Los Angeles so that Emily may pursue her business while Alex stays home and looks after their son RJ. A chance encounter with a mysterious yuppie named Kurt (Jason Schwartzman) leads to an invite to his luxurious home, where he and his wife Charlotte (Judith Godrèche) graciously host the couple, possibly forging a friendship with these newcomers. However, after the children are put to bed, the evening takes a much more sinister turn, as Kurt and Charlotte are shown to have particular desires and perversions, and they begin to project these onto their houseguests, who are both reluctant and strangely curious to the strange implications that Kurt and Charlotte start to make throughout the evening. The activities that Alex and Emily are subjected to throughout the evening include a skinny-dipping session, an unwanted photography shoot, a sinister “booze run” that actually leads Emily to unwillingly act as a voyeur while Charlotte conducts herself in a way contrary to her apparent commitment to her husband. As the evening progresses so does the awkward tension between the characters, and only in the film’s climax is there any sense of what the motivations of these characters actually were.

I am in two very different minds regarding The Overnight – on one hand, I found it to be a messy, convoluted attempt to make an edgy sex comedy that speaks to the modern sensibilities of Generation X and their progeny without actually doing anything interesting. However, on the other hand, I admired the sheer courage behind this film – very few filmmakers are able to garner enough confidence to actually make something this brazen and outrageous. The Overnight is a vulgar and often very sinister film, and one that does take some risks in conveying the story, but ultimately does not soar as much as it could have. However, independent cinema is built almost entirely on subverting expectations and telling a particular story in unconventional and audacious ways. Ultimately, I tend towards actually having enjoyed The Overnight, because in spite of its countless faults, inconsistent tone and the fact that it really was a film without anything of value to say, it was a heartfelt and hilarious (perhaps the only consistent part of The Overnight was that it never failed to be darkly funny throughout), and that the performances bolstered the film and elevated it much higher than it should have been.

The Overnight is very smart in the way in which it has a limited cast, consisting of four leads – Adam Scott, Taylor Schilling, Jason Schwartzman and Judith Godrèche (each couple has a child, but they are more plot devices rather than fully-formed characters), and thus it allows this film to develop into something akin to a fascinating character study. This will probably be an arbitrary (and perhaps even slightly disrespectful) comparison, but I found several allusions to Joseph L. Mankiewicz’s seminal thriller Sleuth (as well as Kenneth Branagh’s remake) in The Overnight, particularly in the way this film is built on the interactions between individuals, relatively confined to a large house, where secrets are clearly lurking and the film is driven forward by the chemistry between the cast. The quartet of leads in The Overnight are all very good, but none of them are particularly remarkable or noteworthy. Jason Schwartzman is a tremendous actor, and having two cinematic personas that he has perfectedc  – the hyperintelligent milquetoast and the elitist hipster, his peformance in The Overnight falls into the latter. Adam Scott is also a great actor, with Parks & Recreation and Party Down being highlights of his career as a consistent comedic actor, and The Overnight gives him another niche independent comedy to lend his talents towards.

Taylor Schilling proves that she is far more than just the vaguely annoying lead of Orange is the New Black by playing a character who picks up on the intentions of the hosts before her husband. However, the most valuable performer in The Overnight is undeniably Judith Godrèche, who plays the French housewife and amateur masseuse (and willing participant in one of her husband’s perverse businesses). She is funny, fascinating and the fact that she is not as recognizable in terms of her American co-stars (while still possibly being the performer here with the most diverse career) makes her an invaluable aspect of this film. I won’t pretend that any of these actors were particularly amazing, nor will I claim that their characters are complex and nuanced. They are archetypal stock characters that are pretty much a dime a dozen, but the actors commit to the roles and are clearly having fun, which makes for pleasant, but not groundbreaking, viewing.

The Overnight is an entertaining film, and the cast is great at playing these characters. It is raunchy and delightfully sinister, and while the tone may shift from broad sex comedy to having overtures of a psychological thriller (which isn’t surprising, considering The Overnight was made by Brice, who previously collaborated with Mark Duplass on the subversive satirical horror film Creep), it is a mindlessly entertaining film that may not go anywhere interesting, nor does it make any statement that lingers on the mind of the audience. In the most simple, straighforward terms, it is nothing more than a quaint independent comedy that serves to be a hilarious diversion, and nothing other than that. It is in this unassuming, strangely humble intention to not be anything that it could not be that leads The Overnight to be far more of a success rather than a failure. It is not memorable cinema, but it certainly is amusing, and that is worth something at least.