‘I Don’t Understand You’ Review – A Gruesome Comedy of Errors Starring Nick Kroll

While there have been amazing advances in translation technology, communication mix-ups are still bound to happen from time to time. Whether or not these little cultural goofs will somehow culminate in death and mayhem, however, is really up to the individual. Of course, a travel movie like I Don’t Understand You makes its own blunders-turned-chaos seem unavoidable and totally out of the characters’ hands. So a willing and quite generous suspension of disbelief is recommended when viewing this one very killer vacation. Even still, count your blessings that you’re merely watching this comedy of errors unfold rather than be any part of it.

Not everyone has a babymoon before their little bundle of joy shows up, but Dom (Nick Kroll) and Cole (Andrew Rannells) are definitely having one in I Don’t Understand You. If not for some kid-free, adults-only relaxation before parenting takes over their lives, then at least for the pure sake of celebration. The couple’s last attempt at adoption fell through, on account of the mommy being a scammer. This time, though, Amanda Seyfried’s expectant character, and a sorely underused one at that, is the real deal, and she’s got great news for Dom and Cole before they leave for Italy.

When introducing their protagonists, co-directors and co-writers David Joseph Craig and Brian Crano echo Dom and Cole’s manner in getting to the airport; you quickly form a solid idea of how this twosome functions, based on the hurried outset alone. Dom can be intense and anxious, whereas Cole is a little more chill when compared to his other half. Mind you, this isn’t an “odd couple” scenario because I Don’t Understand You offers a pairing that, even after all hell breaks loose, is more convincing than not. They’re on equal footing — mostly when it comes to their life experiences and consequent paranoias — and no one is smarter or weirder than the other. And above all, their persuasive dynamic is the beating heart of this movie. It’s hard not to get invested in them and their desire to be parents.

Image: Nick Kroll and Andrew Rannells in I Don’t Understand You.

The babymoon finally commences once Dom and Cole land in Italy, however, there’s been a change in their plans, thanks to a family friend. And there lies the road to this story’s deadly language barrier. What ensues, after Dom and Cole reach their rustic dinner destination, is nothing short of ghastly, albeit in a darkly ridiculous way. Nothing here is premeditated, of course, but the characters’ responses and decisions are downright shocking. From there your viewing experience will likely involve a lot of snickering through your hands.

I Don’t Understand You is something of a return to those zany comedies fraught with outlandish and snowballing situations. The glaring difference is this movie’s own stock of disorder is far more grisly in execution than, say, that of any given National Lampoon offering. This is where horror fans would perk up and take delight. And it’s certainly not a blink-and-miss-it sort of mixing of genres; that series of hilarious horrors goes on for quite some time. So your mileage may vary, depending on how well you take to comedic yet bloody violence.

The gruesome antics for shock value won’t be universally loved, and the abrupt ending is also an issue, but I Don’t Understand You can still please with its combination of sharp wit, snappy pacing, and the likable, well-drawn main characters. This is a vacation horror story like no other, and like actual vacations, there are good and bad parts. Luckily, there is more of the former than the latter.

I Don’t Understand You releases in theaters starting on June 6.

Image: I Don’t Understand You poster courtesy of Vertical.

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