First date

We all keep a certain nostalgia for the best comedies of the 80's, whose script was a pretext for an almost perfect succession of comedy scenes perfectly staging the main characters. One will think in particular of Chris Columbus' Nuit de folie (Adventures in Babysitting) when discovering this film.

The scenario is deliberately simplistic but pretext with a succession of scenes perfectly trought and holding our attention throughout the story. Thus, after being swindled into buying a '65 Chrysler, Mike (Tyson Brown)'s first date with neighbor Kelsey (Shelby Duclos) turns out to be full of surprises as they find themselves targeted by criminals, cops and a cat lady. The night is going to be as long as it is dangerous for Mike...

For their first film co-directed together, Manuel Crosby and Darren Knapp, failing to deliver a perfect movie, offers us a comedy with a lot of holes in it and a few action scenes. Paying homage in their own way to the cinema of the 80's, First date turns out to be a collection of rather successful second roles between a taciturn sergeant, incapable crooks and a surprising retired couple. The film thus moves from teenage comedy to a detective thriller to a drama, all in a perfectly mixed manner. This is certainly one of our favorites among the films discovered this year at Sundance.

First date
Written and directed by Manuel Crosby, Darren Knapp
Produced by Brandon Kraus, Manuel Crosby, Darren Knapp, Lucky McKee, Charles Horak
Starring Tyson Brown, Shelby Duclos, Jesse Janzen, Nicole Berry, Ryan Quinn Adams, Brandon Kraus
Music by Noah Lowdermilk, Kevin Kentera, Manuel Crosby, Mads Heldtberg
Sound Designer : Andrew Smetek
Cinematography: Manuel Crosby
Sound Recording: Andrew Hobgood, Ian Robertson
Camera Crew: Josh Fesler, Matt Couto, Jordan Sachs, Garret Sachs
Special FX Supervisor: LK
Gaffers: Cody Martin, Rylon Bird, Francisco Acosta
Colorist : Ryan J. Orozco
Edited by Zach Passero, Manuel Crosby
Distributed by Visit Films
Release date: February 1, 2021 (Sundance)
Runnin time: 103 minutes

Seen on February 2, 2021 (Sundance Festival)

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