Cooper Raiff wrote, directed, and starred in the remarkable film, Shithouse. It's about an overly sensitive and shy boy, Alex who is living away in residence for his first year of college. His roommate gets blackout drunk and Alex feels disconnected to his environment - he hasn't made any friends. Then he manages to sleep with the dorm supervisor, Maggie (Dylan Gelula - she is amazing). For Alex, this is world altering. Alex has fallen hard for Maggie hard and expects she is feeling the same way about him, except she isn't. This isn't a typical rom-com. It has a real authentic feel of emotions, dialogue, and pacing. Shithouse reminded me Richard Linklater's Before Sunrise, The Breakfast Club, and Sixteen Candles. Raiff perfectly captures what it is to meet someone at Alex's age, what is it to form friendships at this time in your life. Alex is far from a perfect character; there are times I wanted to give him a smack for being an overly emotional baby. At the same time, everything Alex does seems so real and his action and reactions are wonderfully consistent to the character's nature. The is Cooper Raiff's first full length feature and it's rather remarkable. Catch it on streaming services.
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