This dark indie comedy has a cast most directors would absolutely dream of. It’s chalk full of all our favourite thespians, and yet, all this talent can’t save a waterlogged script.
This ensemble has too many stories going in 1,000 different directions, which only serves to detract from the interesting central element. A married woman catches her husband cheating, and the shock of her quite literally finding him “in the act” in a seedy motel gives him a fatal heart attack.
Instead of calling the coroner, Sue Buttons scares her husband’s lover out of the motel room and then buries him and his belongings in a nearby playground. The constantly-forgotten Sue then launches a missing person’s complaint that brings her exorbitant media attention, and all eyes on her. The disrespected, scorned Sue finally feels seen, but her lies begin to compound.
At the same time, we have subplots about a gang trying to recover money Sue’s husband stole — which is now in a hole with him — and their at-any-lengths campaign to find their cash.
The problem here is we have have amazing players on this stage, but save for Allison Janney’s star turn as Sue Buttons, no one else has any time to shine.
Mila Kunis, Regina Hall, Awkwafina, Matthew Modine, Wanda Sykes, Ellen Barkin, Jimmi Simpson, Juliette Lewis, Clifton Colins Jr. and Samira Wiley all co-star, and yet, they’re constantly cannibalizing each other’s screentime. The minute you begin to find someone interesting, they’re ushered off the screen for another character.
Yuba County ends up being a mishmash of genres and a jumbled mess that could have been a cult classic.
2/5 Stars