First time feature director, Josh Wallace joins co-writer Devin Das, who also wrote this as his first feature, in a devilishly delicious horror comedy in the newest movie, Keeping Company. The movie is anything but ordinary and it delivers some of the most chaotic energy ever presented on screen in a film that didn’t possess Nicolas Cage, making Keeping Company one of the most enjoyable, unexpected, and wildest B movies to come out this year. The subject matter and the inner desires most of humanity wishes they could inflict on the protagonists of the film is oddly poetic, even though most of us are humane and civilized and cannot do the unspeakable things in the movie, the fact is sometimes we dream that we can just rid ourselves of those pesky door-to-door salesmen.
L-R: Ahmed Bharoocha as Noah and Devin Das as Sonny in KEEPING COMPANY
The movie focuses on Noah (Ahmed Bharoocha) and Sonny (Devin Das), two door-to-door salesmen for a pyramid scheme of insurance (as demonstrated by their presentation of a literal pyramid of different levels of insurance coverage) who work for Paula (Gillian Vigman) who openly admits to committing fraud and lining her pockets. Upon realizing that she needs someone to be the patsy so she herself doesn’t get indited and arrested for her scam, she tells all the employees that there will be a promotion, making them all gun for the most sales. However, it is Sonny who wants it the most as he feels he is a constant disappointment to his father and feels that Noah is just dead weight. Everything is going relatively poorly, all things considered, until Sonny and Noah are backing out of a driveway after their umpteenth time getting thrown out of peoples’ houses and hit Lucas’s (Jacob Grodnik) car. Things clearly are off with Lucas based on his demeanor but, as he retreats home, both Noah and Sonny chase him on foot while trying to sell him their insurance policy while threating to contact the police if he doesn’t. This is where things take a turn for the worst for them, but for the best for the audience. Lucas lives with his grandma (Suzanne Savoy) who insists that “bad people” get punished. And thus, our friendly annoying neighbourhood insurance brokers find themselves trapped in a basement awaiting their deaths at the hands of Lucas.
Now, on the surface, Keeping Company seems like your standard kidnapping drama with a dash of comedy. However, it is anything but that. There is so much about this that separates Keeping Company from its company. For instance, the fact that the two victims are completely random and it was because of their brashness and lack of thought that they found themselves in this predicament. Also, the comedic timing and heartfelt characterization of Noah is something that is generally lacking from these types of films.
Jacob Grodnik as Lucas in KEEPING COMPANY.
What carries Keeping Company to a high standard is the performances from the entire cast. But Jacob Grodnik must be discussed first. His performance of Lucas is nothing shy of brilliant and it encapsulates the energy and style of Norman Bates. That is nothing to make light of either; one of cinema’s most prolific monsters being recaptured by this mild mannered man makes Keeping Company a must see for that alone. The performance from Ahmed Bharoocha, who’s doing his best just to keep things together while trying to befriend his coworker who wants practically nothing to do with him all while trying to ensure their survival, is great as well. Though Devin Das, who’s doing double duty of co-writer and star, also delivers a great performance and the sheer tenacity and anger his character possesses is admirable. There is so much to love about this film and the great performances certainly do more than enough to bring Keeping Company to the forefront.
Final Score: 3.5 out of 5.
Available on digital platforms June 7th, 2022.
For more information, head to 1091 Pictures’s Keeping Company website.
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