[Tribeca 2023] DOWNTOWN OWL -- Entertaining but Uneven Small Town Comedy

Review by Sean Boelman

There’s often no greater setting for a fish-out-of-water comedy than a small town, as this formula has created some iconic films throughout the years. Downtown Owl is the directorial debut of husband and wife duo Hamish Linklater and Lily Rabe, whose idiosyncratic and energetic voices save a script that is, ultimately, a bit all over the place.
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The movie follows a teacher who travels to a rural town in North Dakota for a temporary position, only to find herself swept away by the simple charms of a small town lifestyle while getting embroiled in a local scandal. Based on the novel by Chuck Klosterman, there is a lot going on in the movie, but it (perhaps shockingly) manages to bring everything together into a satisfying, cohesive 90-minute package.

If Downtown Owl does struggle with one thing, it is finding a consistent tone. For much of the first two acts, the film is bright and buoyant, with a lot of energy. However, the constant threat of danger looms over the story, exemplified by an occasionally dark sense of humor and a dark twist in the third act.

With this major tonal shift in the final minutes also comes a bit of confusion regarding what the movie actually has to say. For much of the runtime, it seems to be a hopeful story about people making the most of what they have in life, but the finale makes it seem like its purpose might be something more nihilistic.

​That being said, the movie thrives where all small town comedies must: providing the audience with an entertaining and compelling band of misfits to follow. Although we get a lot of archetypes — the city girl who learns to break out of her shell, the wise old man who wants to inspire others so he can live vicariously through them, and the mysterious (yet attractive loner) — Linklater’s script manages to make this world created by Klosterman feel entirely lived in.

It definitely helps that the movie boasts an extraordinary cast. Ed Harris shines in a supporting role with a kind and impassioned spirit. Vanessa Hudgens, Finn Wittrock, and Jack Dylan Grazer, on the other hand, play more comedic side roles and lend the film an appreciated bit of brevity. The only person who feels wasted in the cast is Henry Golding, whose turn as the love interest feels like it does not take advantage of his talents.

From a technical level, Rabe and Linklater should certainly be praised for their ambition, but it often comes across as throwing a lot of ideas to the wall to see what sticks. It also doesn’t help that the movie lacks consistency. For example, there are some animated sequences and scenes in which the character breaks the fourth wall, but these devices are not used frequently enough to feel natural.

Downtown Owl is extremely entertaining, and it should be praised for being a breezy entry into a genre that all too often takes itself too seriously. Still, the movie is not without its flaws, and a confusing tonal shift in the final act may leave viewers scratching their heads in confusion.

Downtown Owl screens at the 2023 Tribeca Festival, which runs June 7-18 in NYC and June 19 through July 2 online.

Rating: 4/5