Big Break review finds Simple Town in serial-killer trouble
Variety says Simple Town’s feature debut turns comedy envy into an 87-minute horror prank at Fantasia Festival.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
3 min read
A new Big Break review from Variety says the New York sketch group Simple Town has made a lively jump into feature filmmaking, sending its comedy foursome into a country-house horror setup with knives out and egos bruised.
Variety critic Dennis Harvey described the film as an amusing, self-aware thriller that uses slasher-movie territory as a playground for the troupe’s familiar comic strengths: awkward tension, millennial self-interest and competitive resentment inside a friend group that can barely keep smiling.
What is Big Break about?
Big Break follows Simple Town members playing versions of themselves as three performers visit former collaborator Sam, played by Sam Lanier, at his estate about two hours from Manhattan. Sam has become wealthy and famous after writing an animated project called The Gummy Bear Movie, which the visitors believe contains ideas and lines that once belonged to the group, according to Variety.
Caro, played by Caroline Yost, Felipe, played by Felipe Di Poi, and Will, played by Will Niedmann, arrive pretending to celebrate their old friend’s success. Harvey writes that their real goal is to pressure Sam into sharing some of the career benefits from that hit, though they cannot agree on how to raise the grievance.
The friendly weekend curdles fast. Variety reports that Sam’s success has coincided with a murderous side, and the film introduces a victim played by Yellowstone actor Jefferson White through a woods-chase sequence. The property also includes what Harvey calls a torture-dungeon element, hidden from the guests at first.
Once a captive gets free, the danger spreads through the house. Variety says the escapee believes, after overhearing only part of the conversation, that everyone present is tied to Sam’s crimes. That misunderstanding turns the gathering into a scramble involving weapons, panic and possible bloodshed.
What does the Big Break review say?
Harvey’s review says the movie does not rely on big punchlines or visual jokes. Its comedy comes from how the four performers bounce off each other, with tension building through neediness, resentment and passive-aggressive maneuvering.
The critic found the film consistently fun and fairly funny, while noting that the material is not presented as a laugh-a-minute showcase and is only occasionally especially inspired. He credited the cast’s self-mocking performances and the film’s quick pace for keeping the feature moving.
Big Break is the feature directing debut of Ian Faria. Lanier receives sole screenplay credit, while Harvey wrote that the ensemble’s rhythm suggests possible improvisational input from the performers. Yost edited the film, Alex Bliss shot it, and Kyle Rodriguez composed the music.
The review also points to the production’s resourceful polish and names Helmet’s 1992 single “Get It” as the closing-credits track. The film was reviewed online July 18, 2026, as part of Fantasia Festival, with an 87-minute running time.
The production is listed as a Simple Town production in association with BronxBurgh and International Pigeon Production, with CAA handling world sales. The cast includes Lanier, Di Poi, Yost, Niedmann, White and Ivy Wolk.
This story draws on original reporting from Variety.