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By Citizen Reporter

Journalist


Aubrey Plaza brings indie magic to Showmax

'Ingrid Goes West' has been described as a true horror story for our digital times.


Aubrey Plaza (Legion, Parks & Recreation) stars in two arthouse favourites now streaming on Showmax: Ingrid Goes West and The Little Hours.

Both films screened in competition at Sundance 2017, where Ingrid Goes West won the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award.

In Ingrid Goes West, Plaza stars as Ingrid Thorburn, an unhinged social media stalker with a history of confusing “likes” for meaningful relationships.

Taylor Sloane (four-time Teen Choice nominee Elizabeth Olsen from Avengers: Infinity War) is an Instagram-famous influencer whose perfectly curated, boho-chic lifestyle becomes Ingrid’s latest obsession. When Ingrid moves to LA and manages to insinuate herself into the social media star’s life, their relationship quickly goes from #BFF to #WTF.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BdoHMdIFlOu/

Directed by Matt Spicer, Ingrid Goes West won an Independent Spirit Award for Best First Feature in 2018.

Vulture called it “a vivid and minute portrait of our boho-chic, mid-century modern, reclaimed wood, custom typography, shrub-willing, microgreens-on-heirloom-quinoa moment… a cultural time capsule”.

Los Angeles Times wrote: “No film has yet captured both the lure and the psychosis of social media quite like Ingrid Goes West … a true horror story for our digital times …”

And Variety called it “a semi-ironic, yet still empathetic Single White Female for the Facebook generation … “Spicer’s squirm-inducing directorial debut understands both the pleasures and frustrations of judging one’s worth via virtual connections.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/BXQx-YujHKC/

In The Little Hours, directed by her boyfriend Jeff Baena, Plaza plays Fernanda, an unruly nun. Filmed in Tuscany, set in the Middle Ages, and inspired by Giovanni Boccaccio’s The Decameron, it is the story of Masetto (Dave Franco, James’ younger brother), a servant on the run from his former master who pretends to be a deaf-mute to work at the nunnery as a labourer.

Because they think he can’t hear or speak, the nuns are soon over-sharing their secrets with him and trying to seduce him.

The hilarious cast includes two-time Golden Globe nominee Alison Brie (Glow), Oscar nominee John C Reilly (Guardians Of The Galaxy), and Emmy nominees Kate Micucci (The Big Bang Theory), Molly Shannon (Will & Grace) and Fred Armisen (Portlandia).

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