Review: Bad Roomies
If you’ve ever been in an awkward love triangle, Bad Roomies is going to be an uncomfortably familiar – yet hilarious – 93 minutes of your time. Patrick Renna (The Sandlot) as Bobby and Tommy Savas (The Last Ship) as Raymond are roommates who find themselves in a bind when their third renter moves out. After a series of rather interesting interviews (the identical twins looking to share a room were my favorite), they settle – not surprisingly – on gorgeous party girl Chloe, played by Annie Monroe (Southland).
All goes well (okay, mostly well) until one drunken night brings all three roommates together…like, together-together…and, predictably, rips them apart. Chloe shows interest in Raymond, driving Bobby crazy. Then we see a hint of something between Chloe and Bobby, and the arguments ensue as the two guys battle it out, leading to a particularly impressive fight scene that will definitely not disappoint.
A party reminiscent of Animal House and an appearance by Kyle Howard, who is fantastic in everything he’s ever done, are just a few of the side-splitting elements in Bad Roomies. Some filthy comedies struggle when it comes to pacing – I mean how many drunk-guy-at-the-party-barfing-into-a-fish-tank scenes does a story need? – but this one feels just about right. And don’t worry, ASPCA – nary a single guppy is destroyed in this one.
The film is labeled as a dark comedy and it doesn’t disappoint on that front. A script by Justin Mooney (The Online Gamer) does a nice job of highlighting the peaks and valleys of fighting with your best friend over a girl that neither of you should probably be with, without ever feeling forced. Direction by Jason Schnell (Extra Butter, Please) ensures just the right amount of raunch without being dirty for the sake of being dirty – something a lot of indie comedies are guilty of these days.
It’s nice to see that Renna is still in top form (remember him from Son in Law as the little brother? I know I do) as so many child actors seem to let their talent fade as their age increases. He does a spectacular job of being equal parts hilarious and real, without taking it to that cheesy place. His involvement as a producer, running much of the process that led to the film being successfully funded on Kickstarter, gives this film a satisfying ending, both on-screen and behind the scenes. It’s nice to see any project come to fruition that way – especially one as solid as Bad Roomies.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAHpxJoHy9E
Bad Roomies is now available for digital purchase & VOD. You can order it here.