The film ‘Shithouse’ was unable to screen at this year’s SXSW festival due to the dreaded pandemic. It’s unfortunate because this indie gem is exactly what the film festival showcases best. It’s a low-budget indie film written, directed and starring a vibrant new filmmaker Cooper Raiff. We’ve seen good college dramas but this one hits an emotional chord. It’s about an introverted student having a tough time adjusting to college life. It perfectly examines the awkwardness, loneliness and anxiety of letting go of your comfort zone that family provides. It embraces the possibility of new connections and the uncertainty of adulthood. ‘Shithouse’ is a refreshing debut film that must be seen to be appreciated.
Alex (Raiff) is a college student somewhere in Los Angeles. He has an unhealthy attachment to a stuffed animal that says to him in a subtitled line, “College sucks but you’re not even trying.” Desperate to make new friends, he decides to go to a frat party nicknamed “Shithouse.” He meets Maggie (Dylan Gelula delivers a brilliant performance) who is an equally awkward student and RA at their college dorm. The two happen to spend the night together wondering the grounds of the campus. They have provocative conversations with each other. The chemistry between Raiff and Gelula is palpable.
College comedies come and go but this one reels you in. We feel Alex’s loneliness and desperation. He wants to hit it off so badly with Maggie it hurts. We all know that wearing your heart on your sleeve is a recipe for disaster. One of the film’s interesting revelations is that Alex is the one showing the most vulnerability and emotion rather than Maggie. Typically, college movies show the guy trying to get lucky at a party. This role reversal gives ‘Shithouse’ nuances other films in this genre lack. As Alex and Maggie open up to each other, you cannot help but want them to get together on a serious level. Will they or won’t they become a couple? I’m not telling! That’s one of the charms of this movie. You will feel like you’re invested in this story and the characters.
This is not your typical college movie. It’s more of a romantic drama and coming-of-age story all wrapped up into one. It has a universal message for everyone trying to overcome a difficult time in their lives. The main character confronts loneliness head on. There is a powerful scene where Alex calls his mom. He’s fighting back the tears. He wants to give up and go home but there is something deep inside that tells him that it is the wrong thing to do. He knows he has to push through this awkward time and embrace adulthood. Dylan Gelula’s Maggie is equally vulnerable but in a different way than Alex. She needs to open up to the possibility of deeper connections while Alex needs to open up to being more social.
The movie title ‘Shithouse’ simply does not do this romantic drama justice. The premise of the film can be applied to anyone that faces a difficult challenge in life. Whether it is a new job, a new relationship or a new place to live, it is necessary to take risks in order to grow. There is a real honesty to this film. We all have to eventually deal with adulthood in our lives. Through the bumpy road of life, we find love and find ourselves. What Filmmaker Cooper Raiff has captured so well in ‘Shithouse’ are all the amazing possibilities in life if you just open yourself up to them.
