Director: Macon Blair
Writers: Macon Blair
Stars: Melanie Lynskey, Elijah Wood, David Yow
When Ruth Kimke is burglarized, she discovers a new sense of purpose by tracking down the thieves alongside her odd neighbour Tony. But they soon find themselves dangerously out of their depth against these underworld criminals.
I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore is worth seeing for its interest in realistic characters, in particular Ruth, who’s played brilliantly by Melanie Lynskey. Ruth views the world as a messed up place and cannot understand human behaviour towards her burglary from neighbours to the police department to the father of burglar.
Elijah Wood portrays Tony who we first meet when Ruth confronts him about his dog leaving “messages” on her front lawn. Tony is similar to Ruth in they see what is wrong with people in this world but don’t have any clue in how to deal with their problems and it’s Tony’s calm incompetence that really makes the character likeable and who doesn’t like a character equipped with morning stars and nunchucks?
The movies villains David Yow as Marshall and burglar Christian played by Devon Graye are standouts in their supporting roles and even in the darker scenes deliver some real funny moments that they execute so well as is Gary Anthony Williams as Detective William Bendix who delivers a hard nosed but dark comedic performance who appears to show little interest in Ruth’s burglary and is frustrated with her taking matters into her own hands. Watch out for the scene halfway through the movie between Ruth and the Detective in the Police Station that had me in stitches when Bendix loses the plot.
Macon Blair Directs and Wrote “I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore” (also plays funny “Bar Dude” who Ruth initially mistakes for a decent guy who spoils a reveal in the book Ruth is reading is hilarious) Blair’s human behavioural observations are very real and sometimes funny and is brilliantly expressed by Melanie Lynskey (mostly in those humdrum everyday life scenes) in how normal people like Ruth put up with outright ignorance on an everyday level until they finally snap. It should also be noted that this is Blair’s directorial debut and I hope and look forward to him sitting in the chair going forward as his execution in dark humour is solid.
The cinematography by Larkin Seiple who also worked on Bleed for This as Director of Photography and Swiss Army Man is invaluable once again with how this movie looks and feels. Seiple has a knack for capturing the overexposure of the daytime scenes and putting the blandness into the everyday life scenes (deliberate I’m sure)
The music in the movie is very varied by Brooke Blair and Will Blair (Green Room) whose choice of genres from Motown to Funk really give the movie a real snap particularly in the scenes with Ruth and Tony. At its darkest the Blair’s deliver real somber tunes to remind the audience that although the theme to the movie is dark humour the subject is still serious and I have to credit them for capturing this.
To summarise “I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore” which came out today on Netflix (24th February) in the U.S. and I think this movie is going to really draw in a cult following down the line. The cast and crew are brilliant and you sense the chemistry in the movie between the actors and you will enjoy this 96 minute film from beginning to end.
Movie Burner Entertainment 