I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore.

According to Slipknot, people = s**t, and that's the conclusion despondant nursing assistant Ruth (Melanie Lynskey) arrives at after witnessing those around her acting like assholes on a daily basis. When her home is burgled, and the police prove less than helpful, Ruth decides enough is enough, and, with help from her neighbour Tony (Elijah Wood), tries to track down those responsible to let them know just how despicable they are.

A smart black comedy featuring standout performances from Lynskey and Wood, I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore is the directorial debut of actor Macon Blair, which makes the movie an all the more impressive achievement. Blair handles the action like a seasoned pro, leading his likeable protagonists into unpredictable situations that go from bad to worse, culminating in a brilliantly orchestrated orgy of violence. What starts out as a quirky drama winds up in seriously dark territory that is scarily brutal, absurdly amusing and hugely entertaining.

Highly recommended. 8/10.

Macon Blair's feature film debut is a wicked blend of violence & hilarity that balances the elements of crime & comedy with flair, offers an interesting insight into the norms of lower-class American society, and is wonderfully uplifted by quirky inputs from its cast to succeed as an indie that's as amusing as it is rueful.

I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore tells the story of a lonely woman who's sick of people being indecent all around her and is pushed to the limit when her home gets robbed. Enlisting the help of a neighbour, the two decide to go after the ones who burglarized her house but soon find themselves out of their depths.

Written & directed by Macon Blair in what's his directional debut, the film exhibits a shade or two of Jeremy Saulnier's thrillers when it comes to depicting violence but most of it is pierced by well- dosed humour that serves as a counterpoint. The plot takes a while to get going but once it gains the momentum, it is expertly maintained till the end.

Featuring an idiosyncratic list of characters whose arcs are embedded with serviceable depths, the first act attempts to establish our protagonist's lonely state & morals before bringing more people into the play. Melanie Lynskey plays her leading part brilliantly and supporting her throughout is Elijah Wood who delivers a downright hilarious performance as her neighbour.

On an overall scale, I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore is a confidently crafted beginning of Macon Blair's directional career and is a morality play that's quite timely but there was still room for improvement, for few segments are drawn out, narrative flow is inconsistent at times, and it settles for a safe conclusion. Nevertheless, for a debut feature, it is as good a start as any. Worth a shot.

The bad: some loopholes in the plot irritated me. And there are some unnatural editing jumps in the story. Elijah Wood's character isnt very convincing. But besides these 3 minor flaws this is an enjoyable black comedy.

The good: what is particular funny is the "snowball effect" of the story. It starts out with a woman's small frustration that the police wont retrieve her stolen notebook for her, when she knows the exact adress where her notebook is residing, because of a gps tracker. She decides to take the law into her own hands and asks her neighbour Elijah Wood to help her retrieve her notebook. After that things start spiralling out of control quickly in an amusing way.

Funny and quirky "out of control" story. Great acting performance by Melanie Lynskey, who plays the part of the "sweet" lady, who wont take the injustice any more. She is true to life in her acting, which lift this black comedy up to an enjoyable level, which it wouldnt have been, if this over the top story had been portrayed in a farcical way.

I need credibility, even in a comedy, to enjoy a movie better. And however weird this story might seem, one could imagine, (up to a certain point), that things really got out of hand, the way it is being portrayed here.

In the end this story unfortunately does become somewhat farcical, yet it was still suspenseful and funny enough to watch it through to the end.

Nice black comedy, with a few minor flaws.

Loved this film! Melanie Lynskey does a great job as depressed nurse with a penchant for justice who unwillingly becomes a vigilante. Elijah Wood is hilarious as her sidekick. The story is absurd and fast-paced. Cinematography is spot-on, with camera-work and colors that create a moody, slightly surreal atmosphere. And all throughout the movie breathes with life and love for its wonderful characters.

You gotta be able to withstand some violence though—there definitely is some in here. To me, the violence felt natural and was still humorous enough not to be overly shocking, reminiscent of movies such as Super and Kick Ass. So, go and watch this cute little gem!

With a simple but solid story line, interesting characters , good dialogue and good acting, we have a very decent movie here. The plot is woven so as to move at a healthy pace and this further helps the movie.

In one sense it can be called a back to basics to thriller-drama with the necessary ingredients. And that is why, perhaps, it is quite unconventional for this day and age.

The entire cast acts well. The movie is not pretentious , which is such a huge relief. There are elements of some dark humour, that sit well.

There is violence in the movie, and you may refer to the Parents Guide section of this site for more details.

On the whole it is pretty good . Unexpectedly so.