Written by: Ally Pankiw
Starring: Rachel Sennott, Olga Petsa, Sabrina Jalees, Caleb Hearon, Ennis Esmer, Dani Kind
Rating: [3.5/5]
As performers, comedians aim to make their audiences laugh through any means necessary with the stories they tell. Their content can reach many different ranges from something light-hearted to some stories that make you wonder what trauma these individuals have endured throughout their lives. The art form allows for vulnerability to become content, which I Used to Be Funny displays as it balances a very tricky tonal balance.
Struggling to perform as a comedian because of her PTSD, Sam (Rachel Sennott) reckons with the guilt of the girl she used to nanny, Brooke (Olga Petsa) having gone missing. This leads her to think about the time she worked for Brooke’s family and how that led to the incident that resulted to her reckoning with the trauma that has inhibited her ability to perform.
Mixing comedy and traumatic events presents quite the tightrope challenge for any director to manage, as a mishandling can come across as tasteless. Ally Pankiw takes this challenge head-on with the journey of Sam and the way her experiences not only impact her on an emotional level but also professionally, as it deteriorates her ability to do the one thing that brings her joy, but it also gives Rachel Sennott yet another opportunity to demonstrate her talent.
For a film that focuses heavily on recovering from trauma, it also brings plenty of comedy for us to enjoy. This happens not only in the clips of stand-up of Sam in her heyday but also in the interactions Sam has with her friends. They have great banter together that helps soothe away the mental anguish of the lead character. This comedy also shines in the flashbacks as it displays the natural comedy and levity Sam operated with in conversations with everyone around her, and especially Brooke. The way Sam disarms her defensive walls as the young girl tries to make sense of the fact her mother’s in a hospital and now this new lady has arrived to help take care of her. This bright light within our lead character elevates the spirits of everyone around her and makes the contrast in the present that much starker.
On the flip side, the fallout of the inciting incident, acting as the linchpin of the story, contains so much importance not only because of the obvious harm it causes Sam but also invariably because of how it further changes Brooke’s as well. The saddest element of this is how none of them carry any blame for what has happened and its fallout, but yet they must do what they can to heal from it. The screenplay nails this reality so well because it depicts the real emotions that get conjured up when something like this happens and how not everyone has the correct response to it. A messy situation will undoubtedly cause messy reactions as well, and the brazen honesty of the film in handling all of this displays Ally Pankiw has succeeded in her first feature film.
While the story of this film contains so much to appreciate, the performance by Rachel Sennott deserves a good portion of the praise. An actor who, thus far, has leaned in heavily into her natural comedic talent and has thrived, she opts to push herself in a film that allows her to weaponize humor but also show off some of her dramatic acting chops. Sennott does well in exhibiting the vulnerability of her character, as the fallout of what has transpired has likely changed Sam forever, but she must make sense of her new reality and not let it impede the rest of her life. This role shows a different side of Sennott and reveals she has more range than she initially has let on thus far.
Quite the tricky project to helm but handled quite well, I Used to Be Funny reveals two major revelations as it shows Rachel Sennott can lean into drama as much as she shines in comedic settings but also introduces the world to Ally Pankiw. Their collaboration in this film succeeds in crafting a story that is both comedic and emotionally potent in getting the tonal balance right to ensure it remains sensitive to the subject material at hand. A lovely surprise that gets every element of its production right.
Films with Josh 
