Serious People

Watched at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival.

Directors Pasqual Gutierrez and Ben Mullinkosso have a good premise about the satirical world of show business for music videos. Despite a good sense of humor and some good character dynamics, it's thin creative approach and tedious structure doesn't really do serve to it's creative nature. Filmed with a doc-fiction approached, many moments are clearly shown how passionate the filmmakers are wanting to be able to craft. Especially it's satire themes and characters to which I did enjoy some aspects about them.

The problem is that it seems lost. Rather being focused on itself, it seems to run dry as the structure, style, and approach feels aimless and a bit unsure how to present itself. The performances are a mix of some good and some not so good, which distracts from the satirical themes it is wanting to approach.

In the end, I do understand the intentions and all, but it felt more lackluster.

Right from the gecko the idea of a documentary drama about hiring a doppelgänger to do a music video director's work is an interesting idea. What carries the film and what hurts the film in some ways is these long unedited takes that are just people talking about anything. Some of these conversations are funny and feel very natural but others feel like they go on for too long and feel out of place. It is funny seeing someone try to imitate Pasquale really hard. I do wish we got into the head of the doppelgänger to really know what it's like it imitate a artist or a future father. Serious people is an interesting docu-drama that is about the balance between work and family,while trying to not obsess over your work.