BRITTANY RUNS A MARATHON

I loved this movie - I’m a sucker for a comedy about finding yourself and getting a new lease on life, and ‘Brittany Runs a Marathon’ is a shining example of this type of film. Not only does Jillian Bell draw you in with her comedy but also her acting; her character is extremely relatable for so many and the audience instantly connects to her, even when she is mean or insensitive you can understand where she is coming from.

I also love the whole world of the movie. Her running partners Seth (Micah Stock, ‘Life Itself’, ‘ Newly Single’) and Catherine (Michaela Watkins, ‘Brigsby Bear’, ‘Enough Said’) are these beautiful fully fleshed-out characters with great arcs about their own struggles. Seth is a gay man who wants to the marathon to prove to his young son that even though he is a little more feminine than his partner, he too can run. Catherine is an established photographer who is going through a messy divorce and risks never seeing her kids again. You also have Jern (Utkarsh Ambudkar, ‘Pitch Perfect’, ‘Blindspotting’), Brittany’s love interest who is your typical manchild - just watching cartoons and not caring about life, but there is much more there too. I really loved all these characters. You also have everyone's favourite TSA officer, Lil Rel Howery (‘Get Out’, ‘Tag’), playing Brittany’s substitute father figure, again really balancing the comedy and heart of the film.

While ‘Brittany Runs a Marathon’ is about weight loss, it never feels pandering or forced. Instead, it comes across as extremely realistic and grounded, which allows the comedy to flow. Everyone across the board brings their A-game to bring this really fresh and heartwarming comedy to life. If you’re a fan of films like ‘Trainwreck’ or ‘The Big Sick’, put on your joggers and sweatpants to run out and see this one.