Coming to theaters and VOD on August 12th.

After his engagement suddenly ends, Joshy and a few his friends decide to take advantage of what was supposed to be his bachelor party in Ojai, California. In their attempt to help Joshy deal with the recent turn of events, the guys turn the getaway into a raucous weekend filled with drugs, booze, debauchery, and hot tubs. Written and directed by Jeff Baena, featuring a score by Devendra Banhart and an ensemble cast of hilarious comedic talents, including Thomas Middleditch (HBO’s “Silicon Valley”), Adam Pally (TV’s “Happy Endings”), Alex Ross Perry (director of Queen of Earth), Nick Kroll (TV’s “The League”), Brett Gelman (TV’s “Married”) and Jenny Slate (Obvious Child). Jeff Baena’s sophomore feature is a wickedly amusing portrayal of male bonding and emotional incompetence.

Cast: Thomas Middleditch, Adam Pally, Alex Ross Perry, Nick Kroll, Brett Gelman and Jenny Slate
Written & Directed By: Jeff Baena
Score By: Devendra Banhart
Genre: Comedy
Distributor: Lionsgate Premiere

The Referee: Listeners. Wow! We have another “Sneak Peek” for you. Yes, we do!

The Critic: Yes, we do! (laughter)

Ref: And, it is “Joshy,” which is a new movie coming out August 12 in theaters and On Demand.

Critic: Ooh.

Ref: It’s written by Jeff Baena and, also, directed by Jeff Baena.

Critic: Yeah.

Ref: Now, “Joshy” stars Thomas Middleditch — what a great name, by the way —

Critic: I love his name.

Ref: — Adam Pally, Alex Ross Perry, and Nick Kroll. Let me tell you something (laughter): “Joshy” isn’t quite the movie that you would take your little brother to see, maybe? (laughter)

Critic: No, even though it sounds like that, right? (laughter)

Ref: It does, doesn’t it? It’s not a kid’s movie, is it? (laughter)

Critic: It surely isn’t. And, a kid shows up, and, look, what that kid experiences — they will have to put him through therapy. So, look, this is what happens in “Joshy”: Joshy or Josh or Joshua, played by Thomas Middleditch —

Ref: Great name.

Critic: — of HBO’s “Silicon Valley” — the lead in that, that’s him, everybody — he is engaged. He’s gonna get married, but his fiancée … doesn’t make it. I won’t tell you what happens. She doesn’t make it.

Ref: Oh, she doesn’t get the memo. (laughter)

Critic: There’s something that happens. I’m not gonna give it away. But, he has this bachelor party planned anyway. He and his friends decide to go anyway — in particular, four of them.

Ref: Mm-hmm.

Critic: And, of course, when they’re there, they drink alcohol. They do drugs. They meet girls … all of that. And, this is in an effort to help him get over this crushing loss. Along the way, another one of their friends shows up — and this is what I was talking about, Ref — with his wife and kid. And —

Ref: (laughter) At a bachelor party?! Oh, my gosh.

Critic: And, there’s this big thing. He gets upset. He’s like, “Why are you guys not bringing this up with him?” And, another of the friends says, “Look, we want him to do what he needs to do.” ‘Cause, you know, Joshy is not really present. By the end of the film, the question is this: Is he able to reconcile the past and be able to move forward? You know, the parents of his fiancée come into play. Do they help or not? And the parents, by the way (laughter), are played by two wonderful actors. You’ll have to watch it to find out who they are, OK?

Ref: Uh-oh. That’ll sneak up on you.

Critic: Yes. So, that’s really the arc. It’s not much to the story beyond that, but this is what it’s like: It’s like, if Richard Linklater (laughter) did a buddy movie (laughter), featuring guys in their late 20s and early 30s.

Ref: OK.

Critic: Yeah, that’s what it’s like, stylistically. So, you go: OK, was this written? Or, is it improvved? I’m not quite sure. It has that flow where it’s just natural moment to natural moment … almost “Sideways,” in a way.

Ref: Yeah.

Critic: Yeah, but “Sideways” is just a great film. Like, that’s superlative. So, we’re not saying that. But, you know, that kind of thing. What I also want to say is: It does include drama, so it’s not just a comedy.

Ref: Oh.

Jodi (Jenny Slate) and Ari (Adam Pally) in JOSHY. Photo credit: Lionsgate Premiere.

Critic: Yeah, there are some dramatic moments — beginning and, especially, toward the end. And, do they do that perfectly? No, but it works. I will say it works. They pull it off enough. So, here’s what I’ll say, overall —

Ref: All right.

Critic: — for “Joshy,” if what I said sounds like your kind of style, check it out. If it doesn’t sound like your kind of style, I don’t know. You would have to determine that on your own. I wouldn’t necessarily say that you need to see it. … I did like how, every now and then, they would give us something not comedic. That was great.

Ref: Yeah.

Critic: There was one thing, really in the middle of the film, where it just had a nice flow to it that I appreciated. And, let me end on this: his friends. One friend is the biggest Debbie Downer you could ever have. (laughter) I mean, they had to have the Jacuzzi corrected … or fixed, I’m sorry, where they were staying, ‘cause they’re staying in the forest. And, you have mountains and all of that. The guy fixing the Jacuzzi, you know, this friend is talking to him: talking about how disgusting it is and how you can’t get into it — all the diseases you get. … They’re talking about: “What can we do next?” He says, “Let’s play a board game.” 

Ref: (laughter) Oh!

Critic: They actually do play it later on in the movie, though. It’s that kind of thing. He meets some girls at a bar, and he talks about: “It’s impossible that humans could have created the Pyramids.” He’s that guy.

Ref: OK. All right.

Critic: Another guy is married, right? He’s a fool. At the end of the movie, he decides: “Maybe I should take a break from marriage.” OK, that’s him. Another guy has some problems. Who knows what? He can’t say the right thing, but his heart’s in the right place. Another guy is also married. He meets a girl while they’re there, OK? We don’t know what happens with him. So, this is what you get: You get those distinct personalities.

Ref: OK.

Critic: And, they’re just riffing off of each other. And, the cast, they seem like they really enjoy each other’s presence.

Ref: All right.

Critic: Thanks, “Joshy”!

Ref: Well, we’ll have to see about that.