‘Basic’ Review: Ashley Park Obsesses Over Leighton Meester In Chelsea Devantez’s Hilariously Relatable Social Media Comedy — SXSW

In the age of social media obsessions and waning monogamy, Basic is a ridiculously relatable laugh riot.

Written and directed by Chelsea Devantez, based on her 2020 SXSW short, Gloria (Ashley Park) falls down an Insta rabbit hole after her boyfriend Nick’s (Taylor John Smith) ex Kaylinn (Leighton Meester) comments on one of his photos.

Having imploded her own relationship, Gloria decides to check out the competition in person, only to learn that nothing is as it seems on social media, and everyone else is also living too much in their own head to care.

Park is endearing and utterly relatable as the neurotic girlfriend who’s been burned by past relationships, as well as her parents’ divorce. She goes through just about every emotion in this movie as she learns that the relationship with herself is the one worth fostering.

Meester is pure unhinged mean girl personified as the Kaylinn of Gloria’s imagination, contextualizing every Insta post in the most outrageous extremities that only hurts her own sense of self. But what millennial hasn’t done that?

The Gossip Girl alum almost plays two characters, including the real-life Kaylinn, who has just as much jealousy and insecurity as Gloria does, which she’s learned to mask with her “disaffected cool girl” attitude and a sense of humor.

Playing a stand-up comedian, Meester has quite the stage presence and several side-splitting jokes (some of which the actress wrote herself) that will have longtime fans asking for an HBO special.

Park and Meester also performed the song “Obsessed,” which they co-wrote with Devantez, perfectly encapsulating the message of the film.

Featuring a talented supporting cast that includes Kandi Muse, Ashley Nicole Black, Amber Ruffin and Nelson Franklin, the film is a fun overnight jaunt with myriad characters to keep Gloria on her toes. Devantez even makes a cameo as a recently divorced friend that will have the audience on the floor.

With Basic, Devantez delivers a love letter to millennial angst, urging those who are lost to put down their screens and find themselves before judging others. It’s a comical study of the human experience in the digital age and proof that any difference can be overcome with grilled cheese and a little bit of understanding.

Title: Basic
Festival: SXSW (Narrative Spotlight)
Director-screenwriter: Chelsea Devantez
Cast: Ashley Park, Leighton Meester, Taylor John Smith, Nelson Franklin, Kandy Muse, Ashley Nicole Black, Kenzie Elizabeth, Amber Ruffin, Jon Gabrus, Georgia Mishak
Sales Agent: UTA
Running time: 1 hr 36 mins

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