Some names, once viewed on a marquee or YouTube ad, tend to draw a specific audience ranging from real fans to, “Oh yes, that guy.“ I could put the Duplass brothers, Mark and Jay, into both of these categories, with a lengthy filmography largely encompassing projects their company Duplass Brothers Productions has spearheaded, such as 2010’s “Cyrus” and “Jeff, Who Lives at Home”; Mark, in particular, has emerged as the higher profile of the two, consistently delivering as an actor in diverse roles ranging from horror (“Creep”) to TV comedy (“The League”) offbeat humor (“Greenberg,” “Safety Not Guaranteed,” “Tully”) and more. “The Long Long Night,” another Mark Duplass vehicle, would likely fall into the latter category; originating from show creator/co-star Barret O’Brien, the six-episode series depicts the falling out between two former best friends, Pete (Duplass) and Carroll (O’Brien) and the night that kicked it off, told through black and white footage of said night in question as well as video messages the two send each other months later as they attempt to repair the damage done.
READ MORE: Tribeca 2023 Festival: 20 Films To Watch
It’s an interesting narrative tool, if not entirely original; the black and white shots aren’t at all dissimilar from any single-camera sitcom of the past two decades, while the videos between Pete and Carroll recall such recent social media/heavy efforts as “Searching.”  That said, to see the changes the two have undergone in the time since that fateful evening couldn’t be more apparent, both in appearance as well as personality; in apparent protest of the state of our planet and a wish to remove themselves from a society they believe will be better off without them, the two decide to end their respective lives via a handful of pills within the recesses of a below-average motel room; this is the event around which the show revolves.  However, when the planned overdose goes awry, and it’s revealed that Carroll never intended to follow through on his end, the resulting clash culminates in an onslaught of arguing, physical altercations, and even the appearance of an irritated neighbor who just wants her eight hours of sleep.
Over the course of six episodes, we see more of the motivations behind their plan reveal themselves, as much to each other as to the audience, and the flash-forwards told through video showcase markedly different men; Pete has entered therapy and is struggling through each and every day, while Carroll has entered the corporate world and seems to be thriving, though clearly in some sort of denial as he consciously seems to shed the pseudo-anarchist persona he maintained before.  It’s a transition in which Pete can’t help but express his extreme disgust, as it was he who previously occupied that world before that long, long night, and when the recorded videos shift to live Zoom meetings between the men in the later half of the series do we dig a bit deeper into why things went the way that they did and where they go from there.
As I write this, I can’t help but again recognize how simple this story can seem, even as I watched the events unfold, but in almost entirely carrying the show as 90% of the cast, there’s undeniable chemistry between real-life childhood friends Duplass and O’Brien, and the flow is as easy to follow with hardly a roadblock even as they probe each other’s psyches, nuances and personality flaws.  It’s not some groundbreaking look into a friendship gone bad and the psychological fallout that results, but it never tries to be; this is just a simple story about two friends recovering from a traumatic night, wrapped in a shroud of what could be considered comedy as Lionel Cohen‘s jazzy score punctuates certain moments throughout the show as it finds the humor at times where there simply is none.  It’s as much as character as the two men; unfortunately, it’s a bit more memorable than Karen Pittman’s brief appearance as said neighbor who knocks on the door to express her annoyance at being woken up in the middle of the night, a scene that does contain a few chuckles but ultimately finds itself forgotten as soon as the scene ends, through no fault of Pittman.
“The Long Long Night” is something special; a unique show that in its analysis of this pivotal moment and the time after, somehow creates a light experience that never weighs heavily on the viewer nor attempts to conjure bigger questions meant for further discussion.  It’s over just as quickly as it begins, a breezy watch and an enjoyable look at two actors at the top of their game, having mastered their craft and treating the audience to join them as if they were sitting in that room as things went down.  The show is far from long, almost always terrific, and something I one day just might watch again. [B+]
Follow along for all our 2023 Tribeca Film & Television Festival coverage.