“Nick Kroll leads horror-comedy I Don’t Understand You film,”
a new movie that tackles the misadventures of Americans abroad, unfolds a story about a couple dealing with cultural clashes and chaos while on vacation in Italy. Released amid anticipation for a comedic romp, the film instead offers an uncomfortably dark narrative focused on misunderstanding, estrangement, and the fallout of unwise actions in a foreign land.
Nick Kroll and Andrew Rannells headline as Dom and Cole, a couple struggling through the adoption process, whose plans are overshadowed by bizarre and unsettling events during an anniversary trip. Set against Italian backdrops, the movie upends genre expectations, blending failed comic moments with uneasy drama.
The unexpected premise: Adoption meets disaster in rural Italy
Dom and Cole, introduced during a tense video application for an adoption agency, reveal their vulnerability after being victims of adoption fraud. Their on-screen dynamic portrays hope and nervousness as Amanda Seyfried’s character, Candice, enters the scene eight months pregnant, and offers them the chance to become fathers. This uplifting moment, however, is short-lived as the plot shifts to their anniversary celebration in Rome.
Their Italian holiday starts to unravel when a well-meaning family friend arranges an awkward dinner with Zia Luciana, an elderly woman whose shuttered restaurant has become her isolated home. As the pair set out to meet her, mishaps begin: their vehicle is trapped in a ditch during a relentless downpour, hinting at horror-movie tropes, but the execution veers off course. Instead of thrilling suspense or slapstick, scenes give way to a sense of stalled momentum and dreary foreboding.
Mistaken identities and a failed attempt at genre-mixing
Once at Zia’s dilapidated home, the narrative spirals into confusion—an irate local drives them there, misunderstandings multiply, and ultimately, Zia’s accidental death becomes the centerpiece of the chaos. The dark twist invites comparison to films that master comedy out of calamity, but here the balance is lost; neither horror nor humor takes hold, leaving an uneasy mix with hints of romantic drama and little cohesion. Moments intended to be funny or terrifying fall flat, distorting the intended tone and generating only discomfort.
Wait, isn’t this meant to be a funny movie?!
—Unknown
The attempt to root the film in a real-world setting makes the escalating violence and irrational actions of its main characters seem jarring. The abrupt shift from mild-mannered professionals desperate to become parents, to characters caught in morally dire straits, leaves the narrative adrift. The film’s structure and mood repeatedly suggest a comedic or frightening breakthrough, but it never materializes, amplifying the viewers’ sense of waiting for a payoff that never arrives.
Uncomfortable darkness overshadows intended satire
The movie, helmed by writer-directors Brian Crano and David Joseph Craig—who are a couple in real life—attempts to infuse sincerity through the characters’ emotional journey. Their own adopted son features briefly as Dom and Cole’s longed-for child, lending a personal touch to the film’s adoption subplot. Yet, this kernel of truth is quickly eclipsed by the protagonists’ transformation as they navigate their predicament in rural Italy. Their shift from sympathetic figures to desperate, questionable individuals signals a loss of audience trust and an erosion of empathy for their plight.
Following the disastrous night at Zia’s house, Dom and Cole return home seemingly unscathed. The aftermath, shown in a mid-credits sequence, reveals the repercussions of their recklessness for the Italian villagers: a blameless man is implicated in Zia’s death, left to face the legal burden while the American couple escapes unpunished. This permeates the film with a mean-spirited twist, where the privileged duo inflicts trauma and turmoil on local residents, only to resume their lives with their new child in domestic bliss—a plot progression that many may find troubling.
Performances cannot salvage jarring storytelling
The cast features Nick Kroll as Dom and Andrew Rannells as Cole, who bring believable performances to their roles in spite of the script’s challenges. Amanda Seyfried’s brief part as Candice adds a dimension of poignancy to the initial scenes. The Italian setting is used to great effect visually, offering a backdrop of rural charm and tension that contrasts sharply with the film‘s emotional content.
Despite these positive elements, the overall impression remains negative. The film is technically competent—its location shooting stands out and the performances from Kroll and Rannells are earnest—but these aspects do little to counteract the unfocused storytelling. The uneasy shift from relationship drama, to unintentionally comedic disaster, to unsettling moral ambiguity establishes an unpleasant atmosphere and an indefensible ethical standpoint.
- The movie’s Italian locations add visual appeal, but do not soften its emotional impact.
- Kroll and Rannells display chemistry, though the material seldom supports their efforts.
- The story promises horror-comedy but delivers neither genre successfully.
- Disjointed scenes and absurd plot points make for a frustrating experience.
- There is a persistent tone of unease and questionable morals throughout.
The central plot follows Dom and Cole, isolated in the Italian countryside and unable to communicate, as their vacation devolves into turmoil. Their relationship is put to the test by fear and desperation, and the resulting actions estrange viewers further from characters who were meant to inspire support and empathy.
Reckoning with the fallout: A grim look at cultural collision
With
“Nick Kroll leads horror-comedy I Don’t Understand You film,”
the filmmakers seem to comment on the pitfalls of American travelers who fail to adapt—or care about—the cultures they visit. The disastrous evening at Zia Luciana’s house dramatizes the consequences of failing to engage respectfully, as miscommunication spirals into disaster for both visitors and hosts. The narrative ultimately paints a bleak picture of how privilege can shield individuals from the fallout of their actions, a point cemented as the couple leaves Italy behind while devastation lingers among the locals.
Viewers are left unsettled by the film’s cynical outlook and its apparent comfort with moral ambiguity. The once-intriguing adoption storyline becomes lost amid messy narrative choices, and the promise of a sharp, satirical look at cultural misunderstandings evaporates. The result is a perplexing blend of genres that abandons both horror and comedy, overshadowed by a sense of disappointment and frustration.
In summary, “I Don’t Understand You” takes a promising setup—a gay couple’s quest for family—places it in the fertile ground of Italian misadventure, and allows it to devolve into a confused, unsettling experience where the worst instincts of outsiders go unchecked, and no one, save the privileged, comes out unscathed.
