Me, Myself & the Void
NR/Comedy/Drama/85 Mins
Directed by: Tim Hautekiet
Written by: Tim Hautekiet & Nik Oldershaw
Starring: Jack De Sena (“Avatar: The Last Airbender”), Chris W. Smith (“Chris & Jack”), Kelly Marie Tran (“The Wedding Banquet”), Akilah Hughes (“Bob’s Burgers”), James Babson (“The Residence”), Sonia Esperanza (“The Vandal”), Kristin Carey (“Paradise”), Darren Dupree Washington (“The Rookie”) and Danielle Dallas Roosa (“Give Me an A”)
Distributor: Echobend Pictures
Review: Let me just say: Me, Myself & the Void is a funny, endearing surrealist indie gem. It’s always a gift when a low budget independent film finds its way on your radar and takes you completely by surprise…
This film is a mixture of It’s a Wonderful Life with the hilarity of a buddy comedy yet the heart of an adult coming of age drama.
Me, Myself & the Void follows Jack, a struggling stand up comedian, fresh out of a bad breakup who one day finds himself in his apartment alongside his best friend. Sounds normal enough, right? However, this apartment happens to be inside a void (aka Jack’s mind) and his best friend is a projection of his subconscious. Turns out, Jack is actually unconscious in his bathroom with a cracked mirror, a cell phone next to his body and a gash on his forehead. Now Jack and his best friend Chris are taken on a journey through his mind and go on a (literal) trip down memory lane in order to figure out how he ended up in this situation.
Reading this synopsis, you’d assume it’s a buddy comedy figuring out how Jack got into this accident and it’s a witty and charming journey through this comedian’s mind (and it is), yet I was not prepared for the emotional gut punch this film packed. By experiencing all these memories to backtrack how he ended up unconscious, it ends up being an eye-opening realization that causes him to look inward. He starts to see his flaws, insecurities, emotional baggage and how he hurts the ones he loves the most. Now Jack must find a way to wake up and make amends for his mistakes before it’s too late.
One of my favorite aspects of this film is the kinetic chemistry between Jack, Chris and Mia. In particular, the friendship between Jack & Chris. You really feel the brotherly love they have for each other and the friendship feels genuine. Lo and behold it made total sense when I found out that they are in fact, besties and they also make comedy sketches on YouTube (definitely recommend checking out their YT channel Chris and Jack). I also want to commend Jack De Sena’s performance, his character is a guy who is likable but also flawed who uses comedy as a mask to hide his own shortcomings. In some way, I was able to relate to Jack. Someone who is afraid of failure, has trouble sharing his emotions, and overlooks his own imperfections by blaming others. I also found Jack and Mia’s (played by the fantastic Kelly Marie Tran) relationship very authentic and true to how messy/complicated a relationship and eventual breakup can be. Yet, when the two get along, you can feel their friendship and you root for them, even if they are a case of “right person, wrong time.”
Visually, I found this film very unique. In other films, “purgatory” is portrayed in very different ways, yet, I have never seen one with the layout of a “community theater set” (their words). By this I mean Jack’s apartment is set in a black void with the basics of furniture, doors, and other items of meaning. It’s a clever plot device that is used in a way where when they enter a door or a car they are transported into an important memory of Jack’s that helps paint a picture of how he ended up in his situation. They did a good job fleshing out this ensemble of characters and Jack’s relationships just from fragments of his memories.
Like I mentioned earlier in the review I was not ready for the emotional aspect to hit like a ton of bricks. What at first was a journey to figure out if it was murder or an accident, it becomes more than that and he starts to self-reflect and examine oneself. This is where the film approaches mental health issues and how one deals with it and the effects of running away from their problems. It felt very honest and real and added layers to all the characters.
This is a low budget indie that has laughs, and real emotional depth with likable characters and an intriguing mystery/narrative. Smaller films like these deserve the attention and praise and I’m really glad I found this gem.
Score: 8/10
Me, Myself & the Void is now on all digital retailers to rent and purchase as well as available to stream FREE on Tubi.
Tubi: https://tubitv.com/movies/100035026/me-myself-and-the-void
Rent & Buy: https://www.voidmovie.com/
