Imminent Collision
Roadside Attractions
Tango Entertainment
Topic Studios
Not part of a collection.
Shortcomings
The only constant in life is (he won't) change.
When his girlfriend leaves for New York City on a 3-month-long internship, a strongly opinionated Berkeley arthouse movie theater manager begins exploring life as a bachelor.
- Original title
- Shortcomings
- Language
- EN
- Country
- US
- Budget
- —
- Revenue
- $666,482
Brent Marchant
Feb 15, 2024 · via TMDB
When life doesn’t quite turn out as planned, it’s easy to become frustrated, cynical and embittered, falling into a trap of unrelenting wallowing and victimhood from which it’s difficult to escape. But what will staying in such a rut accomplish? That’s the harsh reality that an aspiring but unsuccessful Bay Area filmmaker (Justin H, Min) must face when his plans never materialize as hoped for, circumstances that taint his overall outlook and impact other areas of his life, such as his increasingly strained relationship with his live-in girlfriend (Ally Maki). To address these issues, he frequently seeks the advice of his best friend/confidante, a wisecracking, serial-dating lesbian (Sherry Cola) whose own life is more than a little dysfunctional. Their friendship is thus essentially tantamount to an ongoing exercise in misery loves company. But the unfulfilled auteur is suddenly and unexpectedly forced to get off the dime when his significant other announces that she’s moving to New York to accept an internship, leaving him alone in Berkeley. So what is he to do now? That’s what he’s about to find out. However, this unforeseen time by himself proves to be a dual-edged sword, an opportunity for newfound personal freedom but also a time in which he’s forced to get his life back on track, a dicey struggle in many respects – not to mention one filled with ample unanticipated fallout. This smartly written offering is full of eye-opening, unexpected plot twists, but they never feel forced, and they’re often quite revelatory about the protagonist’s true nature. In doing so, the picture successfully and intriguingly combines multiple genres, including romantic comedies tinged with elements typical of character studies, matinee dramas and hard-hitting social commentaries. Debut director Randall Park has also infused this release with an array of biting one-liners and a pervasively edgy quality when it comes to the true nature of relationships, an attribute not unlike that found in films like “(500) Days of Summer” (2009), “Bros” (2022), “Crazy Rich Asians” (2018), and even such Woody Allen projects as “Manhattan” (1979) and “Annie Hall” (1977). What’s more, “Shortcomings” is not afraid to show the unflattering sides of otherwise-likable characters, a theme frequently seen in the movies of filmmakers like Nicole Holofcener. Because of all this, there’s a certain brusqueness to the narrative and the characters that some viewers might find off-putting, but that’s also one of this production’s innate beauties in that it serves up an unbridled authenticity not often seen in pictures like this. Even though this release had a brief theatrical run late last summer, it’s largely gone unnoticed. Thankfully, however, it’s now available for streaming online and makes for a frank but refreshing watch compared to many other comparable offerings, one that gives us all a lot to think about.
User reviews courtesy of TMDB.
Amazon Video
Apple TV Store
Google Play Movies
YouTube
Fandango At Home
Amazon Video
Apple TV Store
Google Play Movies
YouTube
Fandango At Home
Spectrum On Demand
Justin H. Min
Ben Tagawa
Debby Ryan
Sasha
Sherry Cola
Alice Lee
Ally Maki
Miko Higashi
Sonoya Mizuno
Meredith
Stephanie Hsu
Mrs. Wong
Ronny Chieng
Mr. Wong
Jacob Batalon
Gene
Timothy Simons
Leon Alexander
Theo Iyer
Jason
Scott Seiss
Lamont
Tavi Gevinson
Autumn
George Deihl Jr.
Martin
Melanie J. Newby
Max
Adam Enright
Jeffrey
Mike Cabellon
Ramon
Randall Park
Ji-hun
Adrian Tomine
Adrian
Bill Boes
Production Design
Ava Yuriko Hama
Costume Design
Kelsey Sasportas
Wardrobe Supervisor
Randall Park
Director
Adrian Tomine
Executive Producer
Lia Buman
Executive Producer
Michael Bloom
Executive Producer
Ryan Heller
Executive Producer
Tim Headington
Executive Producer
Eric d'Arbeloff
Producer
Howard Cohen
Producer
Randall Park
Producer
Chris Navarro
ADR Mixer
Ian Cymore
Dialogue Editor
Joanna Fang
Foley Artist
Ian Cymore
Sound Re-Recording Mixer
Adrian Tomine
Graphic Novel
Adrian Tomine
Screenplay
The Satin Woman
Soulmate
BPM (Beats per Minute)
The Crowd
C.R.A.Z.Y.
Ludwig
As Good as It Gets
Blue Film
My Girl
Shane
Stroszek
Maxxie LaWow: Drag Super-shero
Law of Desire
Threedom
Swain
The Believer
Enchanted
La Cage aux Folles
The Hunger
Dead Presidents
Working Girl
Blondie Goes Latin
Ghostbusters II
Wilde
Fame
The Myth
And the Band Played On
Asterix and the Big Fight
Sky High
The Devil's Own
My Best Friend
Raising Helen
I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry
Sea foam
Valley of the Dolls
Skin
La Cage aux Folles II
Weißt was geil wär...?!
Blondie Meets the Boss
Staple-Man Rises
Unnatural
Patagonia
Mad Dog Coll
My Super Ex-Girlfriend
Cathy Coppola
The Mess He Made
Shem
Fatima, Queen of the Night
Another Sunday
Open Relationship
Ocaso
A Case of Blue
Beauty and Quiet
Tazza
Eloise
That Year, 162 Rainfalls
Screen Test
Letters to X
Over Thoughts
Sanctuary
The Apartment
Annie Hall
10 Things I Hate About You
Sabrina
When Harry Met Sally...
The Big Sick
Frances Ha
Crazy, Stupid, Love.
Dating Amber
Whatever Works
The Half of It
The Sun Is Also a Star
Licorice Pizza
Much Ado About Nothing
Carrie Pilby
The Spectacular Now
Great Expectations
Is This Thing On?
Something Borrowed
Isn't It Romantic
The Lonely Guy
Anything Else
Laggies
Author! Author!
New York, I Love You
She's Funny That Way
He Said, She Said
Jan 22, 2023
Sundance Film Festival
Jun 17, 2023
Tribeca Festival
Aug 4, 2023
Sep 12, 2023
Feb 1, 2024
Netflix
