Greener Grass (2019) User Reviews

Green Grass on the Otherside: An Influence from Twin Peaks

[babyjaguar · 6/10 · 18 May 2019]

Actors, writers and directors Jocelyn DeBoer and Dawn Luebbe collaborated with this black comedy set in suburbia where adults has peculiar habits and wear braces over their straight teeth.

During a recent Q/A session, DeBoer and Luebbe explained that the story came from their short film, "Greener Grass" and worked on a low budget. They said that films of David Lynch, John Waters and 1960s and 1970s landscape photography was an influence.

Visually the film is reminiscent of 1980s fashion aesthetics and seems like an infomercials from the 1990s. Both actors initially met in New York with the comedy team, the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre.

Kids With Knives

[stephenstephenbyrne · 7/10 · 9 February 2021]

I watched this while eating some carrot cake and it was a swell time

Good, weird fun

[valemas · 7/10 · 23 September 2019]

Greener grass was made by two women having fun. It's whimsical, colorful and surreal. The absurdity has a lot of coherence inside the film's universe, and it will keep you laughing. It reads like kids on LSD playing with barbies, and having a mid life crisis. The directors are a dynamic duo well coordinated on and off screen. However it kind of feels it would be better fitted for a series of short skits. it felt like watching a 1h45m long SNL or Portlandia sketch.

Laugh, don't overthink it (or maybe do?).

What a refreshingly weird comedy

[Gordon-11 · 7 May 2020]

This comedy is eye catching because of the super colourful pastel colour scheme. The people and the community look so perfect. What happens though, is super weird in a funny and refreshing way. If this film was done any different, it would have been a horror film!

Completely Bonkers

[Sergiodave · 7/10 · 4 September 2022]

This is one of the times where I cannot do justice to a movie by giving any plot as it may possibly put you off viewing what is one of the most original alternative comedy movies I've seen in decades, but suffice to say think of a comedic blend of Stepford Wives and Desperate Housewives. This is definitely a Marmite movie, you'll either love it or hate. I found it rather clever and completely absurd at the way it poked fun at middle class suburbia. Directed, Written by and starring Jocelyn DeBoer and Dawn Luebbe this is one of the most original movies for ages and I look forward to seeing what they have in store for us next. Two thumbs up.

Weird and disturbing trip

[Movi3DO · 9/10 · 8 May 2021]

Yeah this movie is messed up.

A dark comedy/horror on Hulu. The story was about a dystopian suburbia where people were super civilized, and it was mostly from the perspective of a soccer mom.

Gotta say this was one of the weirdest comedies I have ever watched. Throughout the movie, there was always a sense that I was watching people in an ideal world: the screen was a bit bright, the characters were nice to each other, always dress in pairs, and more.

The overarching theme of the movie was a satire on society, and what is considered the norm in that society. Most of the comedy came from the outlandish and uncomfortable things that the characters did that, while very deviant in real life, were very within the norm in this suburbia. The movie was jam-packed with social commentaries, satires, and symbols in every scene and dialogue. Some were straight-up disturbing, which made me agree that this movie is a horror. The satires were scary because they were true and relatable.

My only problem was that it felt like a collection of skits. At some points it felt like the story was not progressing.

Overall, an entertaining and disturbing movie. It will not be for everyone, as some might be very uncomfortable, or even offended. 8.5/10.

Kind of like an extended Mad TV skit

[dvspindl · 6/10 · 2 January 2023]

This film is not strictly "surreal," as I've seen it referenced. Eraserhead is the most surreal film I can think of in the past fifty years. But Greener Grass is not Eraserhead, even if it touches on some of the same themes.

Not that much happens in the script. If you mapped out the plot, it would be pretty anticlimactic, but that's a quality I think is of value in today's high-octane social media environment. I do think audiences need to remember to be intellectual creatures, not just apes, and that intellectual patience is an important ingredient in sustaining high-quality art as a "thing." To that end, I really appreciated Greener Grass. Any time a writer goes outside the mainstream and takes a risk on something that's a little off-key, I instantly am interested, with my full attention.

Without getting too long-winded, I would like to say that I appreciated the colors of the backdrop and what they represented. I appreciated the concept of the main character, aptly named Jill, struggling with her role and wanting to embrace imperfection. I really do feel wholeheartedly that this is a timely theme worthy of dissection. I wish I had been able to feel a little more depth in the characters. I think the writers/directors perhaps struggled with what they'd created. It felt like a gag, almost, rather than a fully developed story. And it made it difficult, ultimately, to make these doll-like characters three-dimensional humans.

I do have another criticism, which I will phrase in the form of a question. Why did Jill's attempt to embrace imperfection require her to kidnap a black child? I leave that question open because perhaps I missed something, perhaps I'm being judgmental, etc. I'm not sure.

Overall, I did laugh a few times (e.g., "Native American giving) and I think it's worthy of viewing. At least it's trying to do something unexpected, something risky. That earns my respect.

Waste of time

[darianmerino · 3/10 · 18 January 2020]

I only gave this 3 stars because my boyfriend laughed at it, but no amount of weed in the world could make me laugh at this movie.

a breeze in the garish suburbs

[lee_eisenberg · 8/10 · 8 March 2020]

I never expected any movie to be this blatantly weird, but here it is. This black comedy from Jocelyn DeBoer and Dawn Luebbe (neither of whom I had ever heard of before now) shows all sorts of tensions arising in a gaudy suburban neighborhood. And by gaudy I mean that their clothes are an assault on the senses. There's bound to be something that'll go awry.

Whether you interpret "Greener Grass" as a parody of suburban gothic (the genre that includes "The Ice Storm" and "American Beauty") or a straightforward, unabashedly bizarre comedy, it's one to enjoy. I'm surprised that they were able to get funding, given the oddball, less-than-profitable nature of the story.

The only cast members whom I recognized were SNL cast members Beck Bennett and John Milhiser, as well as D'Arcy Carden (Janet on "The Good Place").

A very promising debut from a sincerely absurd power duo

[Stay_away_from_the_Metropol · 7/10 · 6 August 2020]

I was greatly pleased with this shot-in-the-dark viewing. This is a praise-worthy debut from lead actresses/writers/directors Jocelyn DeBoer and Dawn Luebbe, and they have solidified my attention towards whatever they do next. Though this movie is entirely it's own thing, and that's it's greatest strength, the only thing I could compare it to is existing somewhere within the realm of Me & You & Everyone We Know crossed with Todd Solondz, and Tim & Eric.

The music is great. The neon color palette pops all the way through. The farcical concepts are endless, making the film extremely unpredictable. The editing is a ton of fun. The acting is committed and thus immensely enjoyable. There's really nothing very graphic that occurs, which means you could even watch this bizarre fruit snack of a film with a child and they'd probably love it (if they're cool, but if you're cool enough to watch this with them, and you're their parent, that means they're most likely cool too).

It's got that cute little kid with big glasses from The Housing of Hill Haunts and Colored Out urv Sperse - finally he's in something good (this). Only problem is that he transforms into a dog 1/3 of the way in (this is not a spoiler because it's in the trailer) and then we lose the magic of his presence. Really, the primary thing that stops this film from ranking higher is that a linear plot feels pretty much entirely absent, as does any sort of expansive conflict. It really does feel like it just floats from one scene to the next with not much of a connecting story, but, I do believe that this film is something special for that reason. It's not gonna please everyone, but for fans of the surreal and the absurd, this is an instant cult classic that should be on your radar.

Kept waiting for something to happen

[msalget · 3/10 · 20 January 2020]

Not worth the time spent watching the film. No story arc.

An Unusual Tragic Comedy that Hits the Nail on the Head

[zampino-2 · 8/10 · 16 March 2020]

Colorful, awkward, bizarre, dreamlike... this is one of the most unusual comedies I've seen in a long while. Taking a close look at the artificiality of suburbia and the approval-seeking desires of modern culture, Jocelyn DeBoer & Dawn Luebbe turn the world sideways while keeping a sense of humor about it all. All characters are flawed in one way or another, revealing their inconsistencies and lack of permanence through a series of scenes that are as absurd as they are disturbing.

The crux of the story starts early with one mother giving away her baby to another mother out of a sense of societal guilt and a desire to please. This starts a string of events that take apart several families, as each criticizes the other in the most polite ways possible, feigning concern while making benignly vicious comments. That it all seems so colorfully happy is a testament to the writers and the overall direction of the movie. The Kafka-esque transition of a non-conforming child into the family dog is a brilliant vehicle, as the father enthuses over how much better the child is as a dog, how much better he is at sports, &c.

The reflection on modern society, our values and our priorities, glares through the sunshine and perfect teeth. One commentator here suggests that the movie feels like a series of short skits, which is both accurate but missing the point: each of these moments contribute to the fractured tapestry of this neighborhood and eventually tie together; when the baby-lending mother rips her braces from her teeth while losing everything you see the real message of the movie: conform or be ostracized. Brilliant.

Whoa man. I dig it

[arisweedler · 7/10 · 25 March 2020]

Living up to expectations can make you do crazy things. In this movie, Jill is always nervous and doing what others tell her. Everyone wants the image of perfection, and almost every character's passion is in part a projection of what they want.

When things start getting REALLY weird, we see characters gradually grow into accepting what they want. Lisa wants a baby, so she accepts Madison/Paige. Nick wants a macho son, so he accepts a dog. Little Helen wants the lives of other women - but this society actually thinks she's crazy.

I don't know how to fully describe this movie because I don't fully understand it, but I know that it's saying a ton and I have the feeling that I agree with it. It's undoubtedly confusing because the movie, like the characters in it, speaks its mind in an extremely pretty way. A way that looks quite absurd to an outsider, but I imagine would resonate quite strongly with an insider.

I kinda took this movie as a warning against giving into pressures without thinking about them? And about how there's all sorts of stuff going on all around us that just totally gets normalized. So think about your pretty "society", and all your "friends". If either one treats you poorly, then look it in the face and try to understand it. If you don't like what you conclude, then leave. But... leaving isn't as easy as it may seem.

Think of this as absurdist and experimental, not satirical

[peter-stead-740-486963 · 3/10 · 28 November 2019]

Like most people, I went in with no preconceptions and of course wanting to be entertained. Within the first scene, I started sensing that, despite the garishly 50s production design, stilted dialogue and vapid forced jollity of the characters, this actually wasn't a satire, as such, of suburbia, or capitalism, or whatever. Satire is usually biting and this is not. When Jill simply gives Lisa her baby as though it is a new item of clothing, it feels like a joke gone too far for its setting, rather than what I believe is an early sign that this is 'Theatre of the Absurd' territory. That's a very difficult genre to pull off in film and even theatre audiences familiar with, say, Ionesco or Genet would need to have this genre framed very clearly at the start and giving away the baby does not really do that. Later, Jill's son jumps into a swimming pool and turns into a dog, which would have been a better way of achieving this, but it comes too late in the film to frame the story and orientate the audience correctly.

So, after the opening scene, we are in uncharted territory and a story we are expecting to make some kind of sense, instead meanders through a series of set-pieces, gags etc, that actually do not really seem to be intended to be either funny or serious. They all drag the pace and have the same tone, and soon the film truly slows time.

So, as per my title, the best way to enjoy this is not as something as easily recognisable as satire. Absurdism is incredibly difficult to do without confusing the audience and the most effective use of it I have seen is when elements of it are used in a basically naturalistic setting - I'm thinking Stanley Kubrick and David Lynch and Harold Pinter in theatre. Otherwise it is wildly ambitious and you need to have a genius director on top of their game to have a chance of success. If you have an avant garde taste, this might be for you, but my 3 rating is based on what the majority of people will think, at a guess.

A number of interesting elements, but complete lack of coherence

[random-70778 · 18 October 2019]

The production values and aesthetic in the first half of this film are just great. But beyond that it is simply incoherent overall and when barely coherent it is more a smattering of tropes than anything interesting.

Moronic but very laughable.

[parkmanjohn · 6/10 · 23 October 2019]

I like the offbeat comezy of this. It has noticable faces acting in this. Quirky writing but enjoyable. Some parts had me laughing so hard. It reminds me of an episode of Documentary Now or some cynically hilarious SNL skit.

stop and smell the plastic flowers

[ferguson-6 · 8/10 · 7 June 2019]

Greetings again from the darkness. Opening Night at the Oak Cliff Film Festival ... a time to hold your breath while preparing for a unique movie experience. Yep, it happens every year - and this year, the festival's 8th, may be the most fun yet. Our Thursday night treat for 2019 comes courtesy of co-writers, co-directors, co-producers, and co-stars Jocelyn DeBoer and Dawn Luebbe. These two highly creative filmmakers have expanded their award-winning 2015 short film (same title) to feature length instant comedic classic ... and one surely to garner a cult following (just follow the laughter).

Ms. DeBoer stars as Jill and Ms. Luebbe is Lisa. They are best friends, neighbors, and passive-aggressive competitors in a manner only seen in today's suburban settings. Think of THE STEPFORD WIVES or Seaside in THE TRUMAN SHOW, and then toss in color-coordinated family attire, golf carts for transportation, and braces on the teeth of every adult. More warped than idyllic, the wacky level of politeness is a source of comedy, and there are some gems during many of the segments. Consistent laughter in the nearly full Texas Theatre meant concentration was required to avoid missing the next killer line.

Oh yes ... the killer. A stalker/possible serial killer is a menace that hovers in the background through most of the film. The threat is mostly teased as our locals go about unwittingly poking fun at soccer, baseball, yoga, accelerated classes, layered dips and music lessons. The self-imposed pressures of this existence are evident in both parents and kids - especially kids who watch unapproved TV shows like "Kids with Knives".

Lest you think all of the comedy is derived from the two leads, know that Beck Bennett ("Saturday Night Live") plays Jill's husband, and Neil Casey plays Lisa's significant other. Both are hilarious in contrasting styles, and Mary Holland is a hoot as the recent red-haired divorcee Kim Ann, and it's D'Arcy Carden ("The Good Place") who is the real scene stealer as Miss Human, the slightly-off second grade teacher. Julian Hilliard is immediately recognizable as young Luke from "The Haunting of Hill House", and here he plays Julian, who is likely to make your own adolescent child's transformation pale in comparison.

Is there an easier target for satire than suburbia ... other than the current political climate, of course? Where do we look for happiness? A friend's husband? The neighbor's house? Someone else's baby? While fake flowers abound and represent the dream of exterior perfection, it should be noted that I only counted 2 f-bombs in the whole movie. The humor, though quite absurd and sometimes teasing the line with horror, is basically squeaky clean - an approach that helps it stand out in an era of today's raunchy comedies trying to out-raunch each other. After playing Sundance, it's likely to join the best comedies in the love-hate category. If you enjoy slightly demented social commentary, there is a good chance you'll find humor here ... though I keep drawing a blank trying to come up with a movie comparison. Perhaps that's the best compliment that can be offered.

Different!

[westsideschl · 6/10 · 12 June 2020]

As I'm watching I thinking satire, subtle allusions, parody, social commentary, absurdism, surrealism. But then I think something/one has created a sort of Handmaiden's sameness community/reality as a counter to the human competitive tendency that the grass is greener, etc., i.e. not satisfied w/one's situation, thinking that others might be better off, In this community everyone seems pleasantly cordially complaint/identical to an extreme. From subdued pastel pink & blue colors to toothy smiley pleasantries to plastic artificial sameness to spouse and progeny sharing to identical golf cart vehicles. Then I started thinking that underlying this strangeness was an evil or alien presence. Such as, saliva exchanging kisses; eating off the floor; eerie music; children's non-compliant behavior; child turns into a dog?; soccer pitch w/grave markers. Conclusion: I'm not sure if there is a meaningful statement in this movie, but kudos to DeBoer & Luebbe for producing; a little directing; acting this bizarre 100+ minutes.

Sort of like a world like "The Stepford Wives" where EVERYONE is weird, robotic and phony.

[planktonrules · 4/10 · 6 November 2020]

"Greener Grass" is both an absurdist film as well as a weird allegory about consumer culture in the West. While it clearly is making fun of suburbia and the need for many to keep up with their neighbors, so much of the story is nonsensical and confusing....deliberately so.

The film mostly centers on two women...as well as the folks around them. Most seem to have no real emotions and act much like robots or folks from "The Stepford Wives". As for their behaviors, they all seem very random and bizarre or they simply do what their friends suggest or what will make them look good to their friends. For example, early in the film when one woman admires another's new baby...she just gives it to her. Later, the baby is confused with a Golden Retriever and so the family just assume the child changed. They are confused when it is kicked off out of the soccer game as well as the school's math team. Another time, a woman wants another baby...and she puts a soccer ball under her clothes to simulate pregnancy. When it's 'born' she names the soccer ball 'Wilson' and folks admire the new baby. Then, there's the young kid who acts as if he's possessed and he's mean, curses and is abusive. There's plenty more....but suffice to say that it really never makes any sense in this bizarro world.

While I am sure the film is making fun of suburbia, it is so over the top and nonsensical that that message is soon lost. Also, the film simply suffers from there being too much weirdness and randomness that the story gets a bit dull and I felt myself losing interest. Originally, it was a short film and I think the momentum is such that a full-length story like this is simply too much for most folks to enjoy. A case where shorter is better.

You love it or you hate it

[vfcwdttr · 9/10 · 11 February 2023]

This is one of those films that you either love or you hate. I personally loved this movie as I think it is more clever than it appears on the surface. There is a lot more imagery and symbolism than you may see the first watch through (I've watched this movie about 5 times). In fact, there are subtle details that point to some pretty crazy theories.

If you decide to watch Greener Grass, just try not to take the movie too seriously and enjoy it for what it is: satirical surrealism. I think this movie makes a fantastic point of what culture is like today.

I also think it helped that I watched a lot of surrealist films before watching this one (ex. Vertigo, The Red Shoes, Don't Look Now etc.). Understanding that the point of these films is not logic but using surrealism to get a point across.

It actually disappoints me on how little viewers seemed to enjoy and appreciate this film. I think it it may be one of my all time favorites! Give it a shot and try to look at the deeper meaning of it as well as the hilarious and clever Easter eggs they've managed to squeeze into this film.

Pastel aggressive...

[ThurstonHunger · 6/10 · 24 October 2020]

Saccharine surreal suburb slam.

Surreal is not quite the right word: the humor is split between both non sequiturs and jagged barbs to pierce the middle class bubble world. The DVD included a 16 minute low-budget original short which might be more preferable for folks are deterred by the absurd. I enjoyed the expanded version, but definitely not for everyone.

The short shows a firm skeleton that is fleshed out here, both include a crucial metamorphosis and the competitive friendships of the soccer mom set. The braces shown in the poster help establish a weird uniformity in the community, Stepford Wives in a Peewee's Playhouse world where Bob from Twin Peaks might have spent time as a child. The braces also just seemed to make every smile hurt.

There feels like a lot going on here, and the writing and re-writing per an interview I just listened to....a 21-gun page-one-redraft salute by the two stars/writers/directors who share this film as their baby. Swimming pool water becomes magical, phrases get spun back upon themselves, no guns but plenty of knives.

Films like this bend the connections between uneasy insight and humor, in terms of which provokes which....while I think they intended the humor to provoke deeper uneasiness, I think it went the other way.

Anyways, the leads are talented....I agree with a lot of other reference points mentioned by reviewers here, did someone bring up Miranda July? Or more of a stretch if Carole Burnett were young today. Shake and bake in fake commercials a la Kentucky Fried Movie - Bouquets to Bald Men?!?!? Maybe leftovers from their Upright Citizens Brigade?

One last note, I wonder which of the two, Jocelyn and Dawn will be first to have a pet dog as a proto-child, that they throw a birthday party for?

Just irritating.

[g-hbe · 3/10 · 6 August 2022]

While I always advocate giving a film some time to develop before forming an opinion, this one had us itching to ditch it by the 20-minute mark. Although there were brief flashes of David Lynch, it just seemed to be weird for the sake of it. Sorry, one for the 'don't bother' pile.

A bit over-exaggerated truth

[ham-ma242 · 10/10 · 18 March 2020]

I haven't seen anybody mentioning that this satire is based on so much truth. It's like watching a documentary xD. Nowadays people strive to be better than even their friends and compete without compassion for others, just a fake show and masquerade for everybody else.

It's a funny movie about how people think the grass is greener on the other side of the fence and don't look at where they stand in their lives when everything's falling apart because they are just looking at distractions and trying to fit into that theatre play that they might not even agree to, but follow the sheep like because of being afraid to be left out and not fitting in.

Kafkaesque

[mnogogaloshi · 6/10 · 29 March 2020]

Greener grass is perhaps too self aware to be taken seriously. The bit with the football as a baby goes into some Adam Sandlerish teritory. On the other hand, when it works with already established ideas it's tolerable and gives an interesting spin to the kafkaesque man cockroach. The drama of the every day suburban life is one of the driving forces in this movies. Is your kid part of the rocket math club, do you have a pool (and how big it is), are you content with your life and marriage. The absurdist elements are constantly present in the film. People give away their newly born kids, everyone drives a golf cart and dogs go to school. My personal problem with the film is that its only engine seems to be how utterly bizzare it is. Even if entertaining for a while, the world that the characters live in doesn't give us a lot of reasons to be interested in it, except of course for its countless peculiarities. The serial killer subplot is supposed to be a central part of the plot, but I was barely paying attention to it. The last scene has an interesting macabre element, but it's not really enough to make it up for all of the chaos before that. The best thing about surrealism is that it gives us a different look at every day objects that we accept for normal and makes us question our own ideas about what's normal. Greener grass does that, but as a murder mystery it falls really flat.

The "grass" is not "greener" in this neighborhood or with this film

[ccorral419 · 2/10 · 19 June 2019]

NY's Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre Alum Jocelyn DeBoer and Dawn Luebbe stretch thier Short Film (of the same name) into a painful 1 hour and 41 minute feature film. While the Short may have been appealing (I didn't see it), more is not better here! DeBoer and Luebbe write, direct and star here, proving once again newbies usually can't wear multiple hats successfully. Trying to bring believability to a silly and farfetched comedy storyline, where cheap/not funny on-camera gags won't end, are crazy woman Helen (wasting the craft of Dot-Marie Jones "Glee") and side-kick husbands Nick (Beck Bennett "SNL") and Dennis (Neil Casey "SNL). It's downright hard to watch the cast try to make something out of nothing. DeBoer and Luebbe place thier story in an environment that is literary full of plastic plants, plastic non-emotional one level characters, and within scenes that are color saturated for reasons unknown and unnecessary, thus providing little to grab onto for substance, let alone humor. Call this satire, slapstick or purposeful raunch, I say the "grass" is not "greener" in this neighborhood or with this film.