A Real, Sexual Relationship
2024 · 10m · USA
Directed by Alex Bliss
Tones: darkly comic, provocative, tense
An anniversary curdles when a couple's secret sex tape surfaces and they're forced to litigate every dormant grievance — bedroom, communication, the lot. Edy Modica and Eric Rahill playing it straight, and it lands.
Picked by Felix
The scouts
Bliss pulls Modica and Rahill out of bit mode and makes them litigate an actual marriage — turns out they're good at the dramatic stuff too. Suspect that's the entire point.
Alex Bliss casts comedy-circuit leads Modica and Rahill against type in a sustained dramatic two-hander about sexual dissatisfaction — Joanna Arnow's discomfort calibration translated to a single anniversary. Surprisingly disciplined.
Comedy-circuit leads Edy Modica and Eric Rahill cast against type in a sustained dramatic two-hander about sexual dissatisfaction — Alex Bliss letting his comedians play it straight is the kind of casting bet that can really pay off.
Reviews
An equally uncomfortable take on sensitive subjects — Bliss is a penetrating voice capable of tackling touchy subjects with complexity and nuance, with utterly convincing dramatic performances from leads better known for comedy.