Home Movie Reviews I’m Totally Fine Review: A Dramedy That Has The Right Idea But Wrong Tone

The underlying story is about dealing with grief, but I’m Totally Fine is neither nuanced nor funny enough to comment on that topic meaningfully.

Jillian Bell and Natalie Morales in I’m Totally Fine

Director Brandon Dermer and writer Alisha Ketry have the right idea with I’m Totally Fine. Unfortunately, the title describes the film perfectly. The cast is solid, and the script has its moments, but the movie is not attention-grabbing. The film features Jillian Bell in a dramatic turn and Parks and Recreation alum Natalie Morales as an alien who looks like a human being. The underlying story is about dealing with grief, but I’m Totally Fine is neither nuanced nor funny enough to comment on that topic meaningfully.
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Vanessa (Bell) and Jennifer (Morales) start an organic soda company and sign a big distribution deal that will take them to the next level. They even throw a party to celebrate the occasion. There’s only one problem: Jennifer is dead. Vanessa is subjected to a weekend alone in a rental full of party favors, and constant memories of her lost friend — that is, until an alien who looks exactly like Jennifer appears. Vanessa can’t believe what she is seeing at first, but once the alien begins recounting memories only Jennifer could know, Vanessa is still in total disbelief but has to admit something weird is happening. Alien Jennifer does not want to take over Earth or harm anyone, she simply wants to take notes on humans and Vanessa is her test subject. The unlikely pair ends up forging a tenuous bond that gives them both insight into what they want to know most, and what it means to have a meaningful connection with another person.

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Harvey Guillén in I’m Totally Fine

I’m Totally Fine is just that — totally fine. Though the film is shot well and competently acted, there is no spark to what should be a fun, sci-fi dramedy. The pieces are all there. Bell and Morales are reliable leads, but to say they have chemistry might be an overstatement. It has nothing to do with the actors’ talents and more to do with their casting in conjunction with what the movie needs. Morales’ take on an alien is all vocal, she doesn’t do much with her body beyond random jokes to convey the presence of an extraterrestrial. Just as confounding, one can feel Bell trying in the dramatic scenes and there are so few moments when she is meant to be hilarious, and it’s almost jarring when she is. It would have been interesting had Bell and Morales switched roles. Bell has the comedy chops to add some juice to the character of an alien and Morales has shown her ability to play someone who is dealing with the complexities of relationships.

There are some fun performances by the party planner, Sandra (Karen Maruyama), and the DJ (Harvey Guillén) that spruce up the comedy throughout I’m Totally Fine, but they aren’t enough to impact the overall quality. The best performance in the film is the townie played by Kyle Newacheck. The funny-man-turned-director has almost no written jokes and is often the straight man when he is involved in a comedic scene, yet the energy he gives off is some of the film’s most genuine. Though Newacheck is only in a handful of scenes, he seems to understand the tone of the movie more than anyone else. He never overplays his hand, but simply drifts in and out of the script delivering dialogue that feels true to the best version of a movie like this.

Kyle Newacheck in I’m Totally Fine

There are certainly funny elements within I’m Totally Fine, but it only scratches the surface and doesn’t have enough humor to stand up confidently as a comedy. The film’s concept is simple and interesting enough that there is potential for a great movie. There is a rich history of screwball comedies that see someone hanging out with another who is out of their element or not from this world. Unfortunately, I’m Totally Fine is not part of that lineage.

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I’m Totally Fine released in theaters and on VOD November 4. The film is 83 minutes long and is not rated.