Backpacking as a couple is already an exercise in confidence, but in the clever thriller “Significant Other,” that exercise escalates into a triathlon of mental fitness. The movie’s understated façade testifies to a smokescreen of a rich and eventful ride. One plot development in particular holds so much surprise that it captures the audience unconsciously far more than the characters.
Harry (Jake Lacy) and Ruth (Maika Monroe) have been together for six years when they embark on a backcountry camping trip. Ruth suffers from panic attacks, her excursion and the romantic obligations it implies trigger her anxiety. We accompany the pair through dense bushes and some awkward dialogue, adorned with ominous omens. A surprising twist then pushes the film into uncharted territory.
Lacey often has a teddy bear. Only recently have filmmakers started exploiting his potential to act against type. Here, he’s committed to a precarious role laced with humor, with writer-directors Dan Burke and Robert Olsen milking Lacy’s grinning veneer with every comic drop. No stranger to chills and thrills, Monroe has a heavier challenge. Her performance must contain several layers of contradictory meanings in order for audiences to accept the cinematic phenomenon.
Monroe’s solution is to act sensitively, and Burke and Olsen balance this subdued central figure with visual flair, such as quivering close-up shots that echo Ruth’s trembling during moments of panic. “Significant Other” doesn’t reinvent the genre, but its narrative flourishes make for an exciting outing.
significant other
Gore and gope core are rated R. Running time: 1 hour 24 minutes. Watch on Paramount+.