Expanding on his initial 2016 short, director Will Bakke widens the circle from what was more high school kids to college grads with “THE GET TOGETHER”. What starts off to look like a college frat party gone bad, is actually a pretty well thought out process of interconnected stories involving the main characters, and how their actions of the evening actually intertwine with each other. It makes it much different than the opening-thought-to-be frat party impression that is first presented.

Story number one features August (Courtney Parchman), who along with her roommate McCall (Luxy Banner), have not only a rodent problem, but somewhat of a ‘roommate problem’ as well. August wants to be McCall’s best and only friend, while McCall, has become part of the ‘popular’ crowd since they moved to Austen, TX, and heads out to the party of the night without August. Low and behold, as an Uber driver August lands up with Caleb (Alejandro Rose-Garcia), as her ride and guess where he is going – well to a party of course – where as happenstance occurs, he leaves his phone in the car and she goes inside to return it. August causes chaos wherever she goes, this party being no exception, with not only drink throwing issues, but literally ‘pulling the plug’ on the party, and landing party people in swimming pool.

Story two gives us the couple of the night, Damien (Jacob Artist) and Betsy (Johanna Brady), who are meant to be celebrating their upcoming engagement, except he’s to scared to pop the question. With their dinner interrupted by Lucas (Chad Werner), the crazy guy from high school whom no one really remembers, and he pushes them to attend, you guessed it, the same house party. This puts Betsy back in contact with old high school friends she stopped talking to after moving to New York City. And unintentionally her ex-boyfriend, Caleb as well. Through the incident in the pool, the engagement ring is lost, leaving Damien’s plans in ruins.

Lastly, we meet August’s ride, Caleb (Rose-Garcia), and we follow him on his tortuous route through not only losing his phone, which is the conduit to everything in this whole film even happening, but watching him go through the painful realization that his band is never going to be successful, and his ex-girlfriend was the one true love of his life. Though all of this does lead to some kind of redemption, and not just for him, but for all the attendees of the party.

A few beefs on the film would be: why does the more frumpy-type girl always have to be the one who is shown as the failure or the desperate one? it’s so stereotypical of these films, and it’s not done just once, but twice. And while it’s a very decent independent production, it’s a little almost, well there is no other way, as dare I say it, over-acted in parts. By this I mean, some over the top points of performance by a few that didn’t need to be. But that’s probably the only let down as it does give some great insight into what it means to ‘adult’ after college, and at a nice 73 minute run-time, it gets a lot done and told.

While not a perfect film, it’s charming from start to finish, and probably a party you wouldn’t want to miss.

C+

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Review Screening: Courtesy of ~ Newhouse PR/Vertical Entertainment

“THE GET TOGETHER” IS AVAILABLE ON DEMAND FRIDAY, MAY 14, 2021 (Click link here to purchase http://bit.ly/TheGetTogetherMovie )