I Used to be Funny

85%

Tomatometer

59 Reviews

73%

Popcornmeter

50+ Ratings

I Used To Be Funny is a dark dramedy that follows Sam Cowell (Rachel Sennott), an aspiring stand-up comedian and au pair struggling with PTSD, as she decides whether or not to join the search for Brooke (Olga Petsa), a missing teenage girl she used to nanny. The story exists between the present, where Sam tries to recover from her trauma and get back on stage, and the past, where memories of Brooke make it harder and harder to ignore the petulant teen's sudden disappearance.

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Critics Consensus

Bringing a droll edge to deeply serious subject matter, Ally Pankiw's feature length debut provides Rachel Sennott a welcome opportunity to display her dramatic range.

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Critics Reviews

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I Used to be Funny | Rotten Tomatoes (1)

Claudia Puig

FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles)

Ultimately, it did win me over on the strength of the lead performer, Rachel Sennott.

Jul 13, 2024

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I Used to be Funny | Rotten Tomatoes (2)

Kylie Bolter

Chicago Reader

Rachel Sennott takes an impressive dramatic turn in this exploration of mental health and grief.

Jun 25, 2024

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I Used to be Funny | Rotten Tomatoes (3)

Radheyan Simonpillai

CTV's Your Morning

It’s really smart and lovely indie filmmaking that finds this delicate balance between the laughs and the big emotions, and using the laughs to cope with the big emotions

Jun 14, 2024

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I Used to be Funny | Rotten Tomatoes (4)

Barbara Shulgasser

Common Sense Media

Here amid snarky but lovable standup comics is a believable dynamic, a threesome of friends who care for each other and seem real.

Oct 2, 2024

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I Used to be Funny | Rotten Tomatoes (5)

Paula Arantzazu Ruiz

Cinemanía (Spain)

The film is a magnificent vehicle to discover the dramatic profile of Sennott ... [who] dares here to take on one of those roles that make your face twist and demand empathy. [Full review in Spanish]

Rated: 3/5

Oct 2, 2024

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I Used to be Funny | Rotten Tomatoes (6)

Calum Baker

Radio Times

Rachel Sennott stretches her dramatic muscles with this tender, though rather upsetting, character study.

Rated: 4/5

Sep 13, 2024

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Audience Reviews

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Asantewaah Loved it! Love seeing Rachel Sennott in these dramatic roles where she truly shines! She’s both hilarious and serious and it’s perfect. Rated 4/5 Stars • Rated 4 out of 5 stars 06/12/24 Full Review Morgan G I am really suprised at the negative reviews of this movie. I imagine that people who didn't find any of the jokes funny just don't enjoy millenial/gen-z humor. I found all the performances very well done, the writing interesting and I didn't find the plot hard to follow at all. If you found the plot hard to follow I assume you must not watch many movies, its a very common plot device. All the small details of the movie were very well done and showed the mental states of the characters well. Sam wearing her tailored coat with a disheveled outfit underneath, showing who she used to be and who she is currently. Brooke copying Sam and wearing hoop earrings was also cute and showed how much she revered her. Watch it on Netflix! Rated 4.5/5 Stars • Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 09/22/24 Full Review Julian S It’s well-structured, leading to a moment that makes Sennott’s anxious performance both impactful and appropriate, while also embracing its humor. Rated 4/5 Stars • Rated 4 out of 5 stars 09/20/24 Full Review julie b Trojan horsed by Rachel Sennott thinking this would be a biiiig laugh, and it was super emotional. Not complaining though - good to see her range and it was well balanced between funny and sad while tackling heavy subjects. Other highlights:- sad girl score - the gen-z driven comedy and dialogue- the people in the theater over the top laughing and laughing at random times (why does this always happen?)- Rachel Sennott’s delivery in general“So I’m hearing….you think I’m skinny” Rated 3.5/5 Stars • Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 09/19/24 Full Review Green C Her mopiness got tiresome, and the reason for it is not revealed until over an hour in. Acting was good though. Rated 3/5 Stars • Rated 3 out of 5 stars 09/09/24 Full Review Wolfgang's M Too Choppy of a movie. The flow was terrible. Wanted to like it, but just not great. Rated 2/5 Stars • Rated 2 out of 5 stars 09/09/24 Full Review Read all reviews

I Used to be Funny

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Cast & Crew

Ally Pankiw Director Rachel Sennott Sam Olga Petsa Actor Jason Jones Actor Sabrina Jalees Actor Caleb Hearon Actor

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I Used to be Funny

I Used to be Funny: Trailer 1

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I Used to be Funny

I Used to Be Funny (2023)

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Synopsis I Used To Be Funny is a dark dramedy that follows Sam Cowell (Rachel Sennott), an aspiring stand-up comedian and au pair struggling with PTSD, as she decides whether or not to join the search for Brooke (Olga Petsa), a missing teenage girl she used to nanny. The story exists between the present, where Sam tries to recover from her trauma and get back on stage, and the past, where memories of Brooke make it harder and harder to ignore the petulant teen's sudden disappearance.

Director: Ally Pankiw
Producer: James Weyman, Jason Aita, Breann Smordin
Screenwriter: Ally Pankiw
Distributor: Utopia
Production Co: Téléfilm Canada, Barn 12, Partizan, Ontario Creates, Vigilante Productions
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 7, 2024, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 18, 2024
Box Office (Gross USA): $167.7K
Runtime: 1h 45m