Drugstore June

Drugstore June is a film that explores the frustration and annoyance of June, a woman who is a source of frustration and annoyance to everyone in her life. The movie is built around the viewer spending 91 minutes with June, which generates laughs at a joke level but also allows the audience to identify with the poor, exasperated souls conversing with her. The director Nicholaus Goossen, who wrote the script with Esther Povitsky, uses the camera, music, and performances to create a cohesive atmosphere that is indie-comedy quirky but specific enough to allow for some intentional playfulness. The storyworld is somewhat off-kilter, but June is strange by their standards. The film's structure means that her scene partners often determine whether things are working, and mileage may vary significantly. The best moments either have a strong narrative frame or feature characters that collide with June's energy in an interesting way. Some of the best moments include interrogations by two detectives after Bill's pharmacy is robbed, a hostile encounter with her old boss, and delightful back-and-forth with Owen and his friends over pancakes. Beverly D'Angelo as June's mother is also a standout, making the most of every moment she's onscreen. However, the sibling dynamic between June and her brother Jonathan works less well, and the full family scenes generally aren't as engaging as June's investigation of the robbery. Drugstore June is a comedy that showcases the limitations of its director, June. The character's development arc is a highlight, but the filming lacks sincerity. The film is a comedic construct, making it difficult to expect real change from June. Despite this, June learns from the inconsistencies and the film is still funny. It creatively approaches a deceptively ambitious setup without overstaying its welcome. While some ideas feel like raw versions of what could be refined in future films, Drugstore June is a worthwhile watch in an uninspiring month for new theatrical movies.

I went into this movie blind, but being a fan of Bobby Lee, Steph Tolev and Bill Burr I thought hey- this is going to be so good!

I've seen Esther before in a few things and I know she is funny and she can act.

The first 10 minutes, I gave it the benefit of the doubt. I thought it was setting us up to see what a "loser" this 30-year-old still living with her parents was. I'm still unclear on what age she was supposed to be. There were no stakes in this movie. No one was forcing her to move out, no one was making her do anything on her own. I think they were insinuating that she was overweight throughout the movie, but she didn't visually appear that way.

The main character never became likeable. She wasn't even likeable in an unlikable way. There was nothing redeeming about the character. She wasn't a hero, or an anti-hero.

There was a very loose plot. There was no story arc, no climax, no anything. I still don't really know what the movie was about. The last 10 minutes hastily and quickly wrapped things up. There was no character development, or any character redemption.

This movie was stacked with great actors and comedians, but, where was the funny?

The dad was supposed to be a good for nothing gambler, which was a weird thing that popped up halfway through the movie, even though they live in a giant, beautiful house and their bedrooms were stacked with anything they could ask for.

It just wasn't believable. The brother sounds like he was written by a 50 year old who opened tiktok for the first time.

I don't know. I wanted to love this movie. But it was just impossible.

Seemed like it was going for Juno or Napoleon Dynamite vibes, but the writing wasn't there.

There is definitely some parody in the first half or so of the movie, June's character especially. It's definitely meant for people of the current TikTok media influencer generation. The only obvious insider thing is Miranda Cosgrove using her favorite curse word a couple times. For me, it's always fun to see Miranda in something, Beverly D'Angelo is great as always, the rest of the cast does well. Laughed out loud often. Esther Povitsky does more stuff hopefully. Kind of movie that people will remember fondly 10 or 15 years from now, maybe not so much now. Product of it's time, genius will be recognized later.

Good satire on the mental state of young Americans. And yes I'm talking about late Gen Y and early Gen Z (specifically you, lol).

This movie while also funny and entertaining with great acting. Is a great way to decompress and see that there are other people than you who think that the InstaTweetTickTock generation is socially awkward, self-absorbed, very frightened of everything, and have very little attention to anything other than the apps on their phones.

The satire in this movie is great, and very interesting, because our main protagonist has almost zero awareness that she is the subject of the satire...and I can see how some audience might not find it funny. Drugstore June heavily relies on irony and sarcasm to get it's comedic point across, and not much else.

I think my favorite shtick, is that June (protagonist) behaves often very cringy, but yet thinks everyone around her is "cringe."

Enjoy!

Drugstore June had the potential to be a captivating film, but unfortunately, it fell flat on nearly every level. The disjointed plot, mismatched music, and lackluster performances left me confused and wondering what I had just watched.

The biggest issue seems to be the misalignment between the script and the actors. It's hard to tell whether the acting was bad because of the poorly written dialogue or if the actors simply weren't up to the task. Honestly, it feels like a combination of both. The story meandered without a clear direction, making it difficult to engage with the characters or care about their fates.

While each actor showed flashes of talent, none of them seemed suited for their roles in this particular film. The main actress, who played June, was clearly the standout. Her performance had depth and potential, but it just didn't mesh with the weak script and chaotic narrative. I can easily imagine her thriving in a different genre, maybe something more intense or character-driven.

In fact, that's true for the entire cast-each actor would likely shine in a different genre or role. It felt like they were all trying to force themselves into characters that didn't suit them. It was like watching a group of talented individuals playing dress-up, rather than fully embodying their roles.

Drugstore June could have been a great film, but its scattered execution and mismatched cast left it feeling unfinished and hollow. There's talent here, but not in the right places.