Warning: This review contains discussions of suicide.

The world of indie dramedies is often a great place for the exploration of themes like identity and purpose, particularly when they take a familiar concept and do something fresh with it. Whether it’s the sci-fi twist at the heart of Jim Carrey’s breakup depression in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind or a man who learns the importance of connecting with the real world by dating a sex doll in Lars and the Real Girl, there have been many inventive films over the years. Nina Conti looks to join these ranks with Sunlight, which proves a charming enough time. Co-written by Conti and Shenoah Allen, both of whom also lead the movie’s cast, Sunlight centers on Jane, a woman looking to break free from her toxic life by donning a monkey costume and having it become an entirely new personality. As she looks to escape, Jane stumbles upon Roy, a radio show star she saves from suicide. Subsequently taking Roy and the motor home from his job on a road trip from New Mexico to Colorado for a fresh start, the two find themselves developing a unique bond that gives them both a new outlook on life.
Sunlight Doesn’t Take Enough Time To Let Us Connect With Its Characters

For Starting Off On Such A Dire Note, It’s Bizarre How Quickly The Story Moves On

While the overall structure of the movie was pretty obvious from the jump, I did find it kind of surprising how little Sunlight actually tried to let us connect with Roy and Jane. Roy, in particular, is someone who should have been given some kind of depth towards the start of the film, as we start off watching him attempt to die by suicide in a seedy motel room after also setting the mood with candles and a note.

Jane isn’t immune to the movie’s surface-level character work, either, as I often felt like her actions were very inconsistent without enough of an explanation as to why.

Given Conti and Allen clearly want us to have fun with Sunlight more than be saddened by it, I can appreciate why they’d want to shift the focus away from this. But apart from one conversation halfway through the film, it’s somewhat uncomfortable how little we learn about Roy’s prior struggles. It almost feels like they couldn’t determine how to start Roy’s arc from an angle that would make sense for him to suddenly go on a road trip with Jane. Jane isn’t immune to the movie’s surface-level character work, either, as I often felt like her actions were very inconsistent without explanation. That’s not to say that the movie doesn’t lay out her backstory, as we certainly get a great picture of why Jane has taken to embracing the monkey personality and embarking on the road trip, but she frequently does things that feel the opposite of the traits laid out earlier in the film. There are mentions that the actions are Jane’s self-destructive personality breaking through, but they feel so sudden and out of place, I couldn’t quite accept them.
Conti & Allen’s Unique Sense Of Humor Largely Buoys Sunlight

If Not For Its Quirky Jokes, I Honestly May Have Been Too Bored

While their efforts to deliver compelling character arcs may have underwhelmed in parts, where Conti and Allen’s Sunlight script largely soars is in its humor, feeling very akin to the Ryan Gosling-led Lars and The Real Girl. The base concept of a person retreating into a monkey suit to avoid the emotional turmoil of reality is one rife with comedy in how they interact with the wider world, and Roy certainly acts as our anchor with some of his confusion about Jane’s behavior. However, the movie could have taken it a step further by seeing more people being confused by her antics. As Jane and Roy connect, though, this is where the comedy and heart really begin to shine in the film. It’s hard to deny how much I was chuckling once their comedic sensibilities aligned with one another, particularly when Roy began to embrace the quirky nature of his travel companion. Bill Wise’s Wade, Jane’s toxic ex from whom she’s running, is also a great contributor to the movie’s funnier moments, being so invested in his cycling that he literally chases them across the state on his bicycle.
The Movie’s Monkey Suit Is The Perfect Mix Of Impressive, Simple Effects

It Feels Appropriately DIY

With it being given a large amount of screentime, my initial interest in Sunlight was that of Jane’s monkey suit, and I was quite impressed by the design Conti and creature-effects specialist Vanessa Bastyan (Andor) came up with, inspired by the former’s ventriloquism stand-up comedy. Most of the costume is nicely detailed, while the face looks more like a self-made suit that feels appropriate for Jane and the movie’s sense of humor. Its lack of expressiveness makes some jokes land even harder. While I wish the movie’s tone and story were a little more even, there’s definitely enough here for many to enjoy. Sunlight hits theaters on June 6.

Sunlight

7/10

Release Date

August 17, 2024

Runtime

96 minutes

Director

Nina Conti

Writers

Shenoah Allen

Producers

Christopher Guest, Sam Parker, Michael Yates, Will Machin, Mykel Salazar, Tabitha McDonald

Pros & Cons

The concept is wonderfully quirky and solid enough twist on its genre.
The writing packs some hilarious jokes and a few meaningful moments.
Nina Conti and Shenoah Allen nicely commit to their characters.

The characters lack some depth, particularly regarding their darker traits.
Some jokes feel a bit grating.