If you keep your expectations low, you just never know! Such was the case with dark comedy Bad Shabbos. I watched this small festival darling a while back, in advance of moderating a discussion with a group of mostly older adults— many of them jewish— at Baltimore’s historic Charles Theater on a Sunday morning in May. The film had won the Audience Award at the 2024 Tribeca Film Festival in New York and was starting to slowly roll out in theaters nationwide. General reaction from the Baltimore audience was positive, though it’s not the type of film that needs to be seen on the big screen (i.e. streaming should do, so keep an eye out). Overall, it’s a perfectly acceptable way to kill about 84 minutes. Pun intended.
Here’s the gist: David Gelfand (Jon Bass) and his fiancé Meg (Meghan Leathers) are about to have their parents meet for the first time — over a traditional Shabbat dinner at the Gelfand family’s apartment on the Upper West Side. David’s parents (Kyra Sedgwick, David Paymer) are observant New York Jews; Meg’s parents (Catherine Curtin, John Bedord Lloyd) are devout Midwest Catholics. Just as Meg’s folks are due to arrive, one of the dinner guests dies. That’s not a spoiler. It’s the basis for the dramedy that ensues. Whether an actual crime occurred is subject to interpretation.
Director Daniel Robbins set out to adapt old school comedies to modern times, drawing inspiration from films like The Birdcage, Meet the Parents, and My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Little did he know when making the film that Netflix would soon have a hit with the limited series Nobody Wants This starring Kristen Bell and Adam Brody. If you like that show, you’ll probably like Bad Shabbos. Both tackle interfaith relationships and leverage the quirky complexities of family dynamics. Bad Shabbos has some questionable plot points but the dialogue is sharp and witty and the actors are well cast, including Cliff “Method Man” Smith (of Wu-Tang Clan fame) as Jordan, the trusted doorman who (quite hilariously) has the Gelfand family’s back. Honorable mention goes to Larry the cat, an orange tabby who does his part to drive the narrative. Shabbat Shalom!
Bad Shabbos is open in select theaters and gradually expanding nationwide. Running time: 84 minutes.
p.s. Who knew Kyra Sedgwick was Jewish? Not I. But she is!