What happens when a comedian loses their smile? In the upcoming film I Used to be Funny, Rachel Sennott stars as an aspiring comic and au pair suffering from PTSD after a sexual assault. When a teen she used to nanny disappears, she struggles to regain her comedic edge while also joining the search.
Sounds like a real riot, doesn’t it? But then, it’s also a chance for the red-hot Sennott to flex her comic and dramatic skills. Ever since the success of Shiva Baby, Sennott has been on a roll with Bodies Bodies Bodies and Bottoms, landing roles in future projects such as SNL 1975 and Mimi Cave’s Holland, Michigan.
Also in the cast are Olga Pesta, Jason Jones, Sabrina Jalees, Caleb Hearon, Ennis Esmer, and Dani Kind.
Making her feature debut is writer/director Ally Pankiw, who has previously helmed episodes of The Great, Shrill, and Black Mirror.
Here’s the synopsis: I Used To Be Funny is a dark dramedy that follows Sam Cowell (Rachel Sennott), an aspiring stand-up comedian and au pair struggling with PTSD, as she decides whether or not to join the search for Brooke (Olga Petsa), a missing teenage girl she used to nanny. The story exists between the present, where Sam tries to recover from her trauma and get back on stage, and the past, where memories of Brooke make it harder and harder to ignore the petulant teen’s sudden disappearance. Writer/director Ally Pankiw’s debut feature is both funny and heartbreaking in its honest and refreshing look at trauma and recovery, and how they affect the relationships and communities that shape us.
I Used to be Funny had its world premiere at SXSW last year, before hitting the festival circuit. Next it’ll hit theaters in NYC on June 7th, LA on June 14th, and Digital on June 18th.
