Matt Johnson is like Mark Duplass’s goofy cousin. This gently diverting, stream of consciousness, white middle class angst movie reminded me a bit of films like Lynn Shelton’s Hump Day (2009) or an early Kelly Reichardt film but without the social weight.

Matt Johnson plays Matt Johnson, a published writer who suddenly turns up in the life of former college bestie Mara (Deragh Campbell). She’s a poetry and creative writing lecturer and seems to have a pedestrian but content life with handsome husband Samir (Mounir Al Shami) and young daughter. The arrival of Matt is like an irritant at first, putting her off kilter but then his brotherly teasing seems to awaken in her a discontent with where she is, particularly in her professional life.

Through some extended scenes that feel like improvisation, we watch them wander the city, have mini adventures, and eventually go on a road trip to a writing conference where there is a frisson that this reconnected friendship might become more.

Matt’s annoying but benign teasing and general amiability seems to accentuate the more annoying parts of Mara‘s character. She is struggling to feel good about herself and tries to assert the merits of her life but Matt won’t take her seriously. It doesn’t bring out the best in Mara and it means as an audience you struggle to feel a depth of sympathy for her. 

The scene when they are in the coffee shop and the owner is trying to get them to leave pretty much encapsulates the kind of people they are – you can sympathise with the cafe owner muttering “Karen” under his breath as she leaves. She’s the kind of person who doesn’t want something but then gets angry that it hasn’t been offered to her. I’m not quite sure what Matt sees her. 

It was a pleasant enough 80 minutes, but it did feel like privileged people being unhappy with their lives.