THE PREMISE:

"Sarah and Tom are in deep financial trouble. Their situation takes a terrifying nosedive with the shocking behavior of their uninvited dinner guest, Jessica." 

OUR MOVIE REVIEW:

Everyone loves Jessica, but nobody likes her. That’s because, as the title of the film The Trouble with Jessica so bluntly suggests, she is difficult. In the brief time the audience gets to know her, it’s plain to see how rude, self-centered and hell-bent on sleeping with her friends’ husbands she is. Worst of all, after writing a reflective novel about her behavior - also titled “The Trouble With Jessica” - the character (played by Indira Varma), does not even pretend to seek accountability. When she’s called out by a group of old friends at a dinner party, she boldly decides to commit suicide. What follows is a series of hijinx that slowly force each member of the group to reconcile how big a role they played in her death.

Despite a somber catalyst, director and co-writer Matt Winn delivers quite the entertaining black comedy. The humor deriving from the repeated attempts to hide Jessica’s body in plain sight, while also trying to reassure each other that none of them actually drove her to commit the act. One additionally entertaining bit is the comical title cards inserted throughout the film which preface the different types of “trouble” the characters endure because of Jessica.

The quartet of friends that is forced to clean up Jessica’s mess is played by an all-star ensemble consisting of Shirley Henderson, Alan Tudyk, Rufus Sewell, and Olivia Williams. Henderson and Tudyk play a couple living in a lavish house, but struggling to make ends meet. To help with their money troubles, they are in the process of selling said house. Sewell and Williams play a well-endowed couple whose marriage is on the rocks. As couples - and as individuals - each character feels like they are at the end of the line. But over the course of the night, being tasked to deal with their friend’s corpse ironically gives each of them a new perspective on life. 

It’s a metaphor so obvious, you’d have to be watching a totally different movie to miss it. However, the film slowly devolves into a game, obsessed with seeing how high the stakes can be raised for the group. Just when you think the involvement of the police or a nosey neighbor will ruin the night, the groupthink yields some seriously ridiculous decisions. While comical, there’s an underlying frustration that builds over the course of the night which makes the viewer feel as detached from reality as the characters themselves.

Now, at its best, The Trouble with Jessica feels like a clever cross between Weekend at Bernie’s and Clue. However, unlike either of those classics, its silliness collapses under the weight of its own ambition. Despite such an admirable message, it’s a simply lukewarm dish.