SXSW 2025 Review: “The Threesome” – Unlike Any Other Rom-Com!
The dreaded love triangle. A common concept with one person as the main focal point of the shape with two suitors vying for their attention and love. More than likely it results in one or both parties with their hearts broken. Chad Hartigan and writer Ethan Ogilby decide to take this idea and add more realism to it, creating a love triangle where each member has some kind of romantic relationship with the other, even if it’s only for one night. Thus, the triangle becomes a threesome, a phenomena hardly ever considered as the center of a romantic comedy.
Related – “Clown in a Cornfield” Movie Review: A Nostalgic Slasher!
Olivia (Zoey Deutch) and Connor (Jonah Hauer-King) have been friends for a long time, having even hooked up once before. When Connor visits Olivia at a bar, he sees a young woman, Jenny (Ruby Cruz), who was stood up by her date. Being the nice guy he prides himself on being, Connor strikes up a conversation with her, making Olivia subconsciously jealous, joining in on their conversation. This conversation leads to drinks, a rave, and finally, a threesome. What is one night of fun and games, right? The Threesome is a film that answers this question with a lot, resulting in a blend of drama and romance that adds to the genre in a unique way.
It blends situational comedy with complicated, real emotions in a sincere way. Hartigan has his characters dive into complex scenarios with unknown consequences that, to the audience, is comedic from an outside perspective even if it is very serious for its characters on screen. The Threesome gives off the feeling of dire causes and effects in the moment where the characters will likely laugh about them years later as a “remember that time when…” story. The movie never shies away from a serious tone in how consequences affect its characters emotionally but knows how to blend that tone with touches of insanely funny one liners that give it the comic relief it needs.
The Threesome’s greatest shortcoming comes from the film’s preferred structure, with Connor at the top of the triangle with Olivia and Jenny branching off. It becomes clear as the film progresses that Olivia and Jenny have far more depth and and perspective to bring to their situations. The Threesome would have succeeded more by allowing for the two women to drive its story rather than Connor. Connor’s character is not given as much appeal or charisma for him to lead such a nuanced romantic comedy, displaying pitfalls in the script where the holes could have been filled with a more female centric perspective.
Where many romantic comedies lean heavily one way or the other on the spectrum of predictability versus progression, The Threesome understands when to create its own narrative while maintaining the best parts of the genre. Part of what makes romantic comedies one of the most popular genres of film is in its display of love and relationships that makes the audience swoon in their seats. With so many years under its belt, these conventions are sometimes overutilized, resulting in a run of the mill movie experience.
Related – “Mickey 17” Review: An Explosive Adaptation!
The Threesome feels unlike other films in the genre, developing its own tone to align with the characters and their nightmarish obstacles while allowing for lighter moments of laughs. This is one film to certainly check out upon release for its creativity alone and a cast of characters that build off of one another tremendously.
‘The Threesome’ Rating – 3.5/5
Follow Steph (the Author) on IG – @cinemasteph_7
- SXSW 2025 Review: “The Threesome” – Unlike Any Other Rom-Com! - March 14, 2025
- Clown in a Cornfield Review: A New Slasher Classic! - March 13, 2025
- Mickey 17 Review: An Explosive Adaptation! - March 5, 2025
