Happily | Joel McHale, Kerry Bishé & Stephen Root Star In An Anti-Romantic Comedy

Tom and Janet are HAPPILY married. The picture-perfect image of blissful marriage. They never fight, they always make up, and despite being married for over ten years, behave like frisky newlyweds. Most of their friends commence eye-rolling when in their company but as they only have eyes for each other, they barely notice. With a planned couples weekend on the horizon, everything is peachy. Out of nowhere, a man appears at Tom’s (Joel McHale) and Janet’s (Kerry Bishé) front door.

He calmly explains to the flushed and smiling couple, “They are not normal.” This official, suit-wearing Goodman (Stephen Root) goes on to tell them, that they are a mistake of entities of a higher power and that he is here to correct the error. He produces a briefcase with two syringes and tells them they must inject each other so they can be “like everyone else.”

Happily is a fantastic concept. Everyone knows a couple they would almost vomit on because they are so in love. Most people are simply envious of a seemingly perfect relationship simply because they can’t find that for themselves. To raise the question of such a dynamic being a sociological and correctable issue should create the perfect storm.

The four couples head off together to a holiday-share retreat for the weekend. The house is a massive sprawling estate complete with a heavily armed and locked gun room. Nothing to be alarmed by, its owner must be a little eccentric.

Happily Movie Quotes

“You’re Not Normal”

Quote from the movie, Happily 2021

What I loved about this romantic movie antithesis was the super central casting as well as the great supporting characters. In particular, Natalie Morale who plays Patricia was a favorite for Mother of Movies. Stephen Root is someone I also love seeing on screen and here in the Happily movie, it was no different. The motley crew of discerning and unsupportive friends for Janet and Tom were hard to like. Selfish, vapid, and manipulative people whose sole recourse was that Tom and Janet had a great relationship.

As the story unfolds and begins its morality and secrets unveiled climax, I was hard-pressed to find the point of the exercise. Happily stirs in the ‘higher power’ rhetoric with an iron fist. The lighthearted tonal spite begins to disappear and is replaced by something far more sinister. After the odd film, I am still at odds over whether I liked this story or not. Certainly, I loved aspects of the Happily movie, but overall, some of the less conclusive aspects of the final scenes left me wanting.

I give Happily

3 pod people are still people out of 5

What Makes You Happy?

• For more information on the film, its trailer, and production, and where to watch, see Happily 2021 release
• Happily, 2021 was acquired as a screener for review purposes.
• In addition, here are some more twisted romantic movies: Greener Grass / The Special / Black Box
• Happily released on March 19th, 2021.