There’s so little I can say about 2022’s Significant Other, it feels almost pointless to write about it. I’m worried that whatever I choose to single out from it may provide too many clues for new viewers. And, yet, I’m going to give it my best shot.
We open on a static shot of a winding road with a forest in the distance. A red object like a meteorite is on a downward trajectory into those woods. We next see a deer with a missing right antler. We something alien snaking behind the deer before striking.
So, we’re only a couple of minutes past the opening credits and have established something has fallen to earth. It appears to be an alien and, by attacking the deer, its safe to assume we’re in the kind of film where a monster can assume the shape of what it kills. Also, the alien makes that sound every snake-like creature has made since the smoke monster on Lost. That’s another movie trend that can die any time it feels like it.
We then establish our leading characters, a 20’s-something couple (Maika Monroe, Jake Lacy) on their way to spend a few days hiking a trail. He is an outdoor enthusiast and she has only reluctantly agreed to this excursion. Honestly, I can identify more with her because I am a fan of the great outdoors, but only when viewed through a large window.
And that’s pretty much all I care to say without potentially giving away any surprises, of which there are many. After a couple of twists, I gave up trying to outguess the movie and just it lead me around by the nose. Rarely have I been so happy to have a picture play me like a piano. And, as the cherry on top, it even sticks the landing.
I have seen largely harsh reviews of Significant Other and I was so baffled that I kept checking to make sure I wasn’t looking at critiques of a different film. I’m not sure what didn’t resonate with those people, but I wish they had had as good of a time as I did.
Dir: Dan Berk, Robert Olsen
Starring Maika Monroe, Jake Lacy
Watched on Vudu