How to pass off a stiff as the life of the party may sound like an interpretation of the late Biden administration. Instead, it’s the premise for The Trouble with Jessica (2023), a British mashup of The Big Chill (1983) and Weekend at Bernie’s (1989) that opens in theaters this Friday.
The dark comedy begins with a seemingly well-to-do couple (Scottish actress Shirley Henderson and American actor Alan Tudyk) who are on the brink of bankruptcy. Since they must sell their stylish London home to financially survive, the two decide to host a final hurrah with married friends (The Father co-stars Rufus Sewell and Olivia Williams) from college. But the dinner party quickly turns into a literal last supper when Jessica (Indira Varma), their ill-fated alum, unexpectedly arrives only to make the ultimate exit in their garden.
Realizing the house won’t sell if potential buyers (Amber Rose Revah and Sylvester Groth) discover a suicide took place on the property, the hosts convince their guests to move Jessica’s body back to her flat. On cue, comical complications of a calculated nature — including a prying neighbor (Anne Reid) and a running clafoutis gag — ensue as the four co-conspirators unearth ugly truths about each other.
“I don’t think these characters are good or bad. They are our friends and neighbors,” explains the film’s director Matt Winn. “They are us. And this begs the question, ‘who are we?’ Are we glib, or are we serious? Are our values decent, or are we hypocrites blindly breezing through a mess of a world we ourselves are complicit in creating?’ Above all, I want our audience to have some serious fun while they consider these questions — to take them on a dark journey of farcical highs and lows, with moments of pure comedy and others of real pathos.”
While the script by Winn and James Handel goes for slapstick and satire, something is amiss. For starters, the premature use of F-bombs at the top of the plot rob the word of its punch as the absurdity progresses. That’s not to say there aren’t some amusing exchanges thanks to a scene-stealing Sewell.
Unfortunately, Henderson is too wispy to command top billing. It doesn’t help that her faint voice is barely audible amid the movie’s overly-intrusive score by Winn and Matt Cooper. Although Henderson stands out as a supporting actress in the Harry Potter and Bridget Jones franchises, she lacks the screen presence to carry the lead, even in an ensemble piece like this. In fact, the film would have benefitted if she and Williams swapped roles.
Another drawback is the production’s limited setting. Because the action primarily happens in one place, there’s a staginess to the film. Plus, the homes featured look like unlived-in showrooms. Just try to spot a crumb from the dinner party’s fake food. This sounds nitpicky but the overall lack of messiness cuts into the potential for humor. After all, it’s hard to be a dark comedy when everything is squeaky clean.
Despite these flaws, the 90-minute pic is just as good as the last batch of Oscar-nominated flicks. Because of this The Trouble with Jessica exposes trouble with Hollywood.