‘Don’t Think Twice’ Trailer Proves Improv Is Complicated

A film about the world of improv comedy from Mike Birbiglia will be an instant must-see for some of you, but if you’re anything like me, the phrase “improv comedy” usually makes your eyes roll. If this trailer doesn’t sway you (and it should), then rest assured that Don’t Think Twice is an incredibly funny and surprisingly relatable comedy that might make you shed a tear or two.

Don’t Think Twice has been impressing critics on the festival circuit, and for good reason. I saw Birbiglia’s latest at SXSW back in March, and while I was expecting a solid follow-up to Sleepwalk With Me, I wasn’t expecting to be floored by a movie about the personal lives of a struggling improv group, of all things. And yet, here we are.

Co-starring Gillian Jacobs, Keegan-Michael Key, Chris Gethard, Kate Micucci and Tami Sagher, Don’t Think Twice is a movie that’s just as heartfelt as it is funny (which is to say, deeply), and goes beyond what you might expect from a story about a bunch of goofy improv comedians. It’s a film about friendship and navigating adulthood (however ungracefully) and trying to figure out who or what you’re meant to be. That should sound plenty relatable to, well, just about everyone.

Don’t Think Twice is Birbiglia’s follow-up to 2012’s Sleepwalk With Me, a scrappy, charming and brutally autobiographical look at his struggle to become a stand-up comedian. Birbiglia’s honesty about himself and his obsessions made his debut a winning film, but he’s grown by leaps and bounds as a storyteller. Don’t Think Twice is a better film in every way: more confidently directed, more agonizing in its drama, and much, much funnier. You don’t have to enjoy improv comedy to dig the work the performers pull off here. In fact, the contrast between their on-stage work and their after-hours goofing off in apartments and bars is a key part of the film. When does a comedian turn off and how much of their humor is a defense mechanism?

Don’t Think Twice hits theaters on July 22.