‘Greener Grass’ Trailer: It’s Bizarro Time in IFC Midnight’s Surreal Sundance Hit
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If you like overly saturated pastels, unhinged over-medicated housewives, and vicious takedowns of suburban social hierarchies, then “Greener Grass” is the fall comedy for you. The self-proclaimed “bizarro” film marks the directorial debut of filmmaking duo Jocelyn DeBoer and Dawn Luebbe, and was one of the surprise hits of the Sundance Film Festival’s Midnight section, known for hosting the festival’s zaniest genre offerings. IFC Midnight released the first official trailer today, offering a look at this avant-garde suburban satire from two singular new comedic voices.
The official synopsis reads: “In a day-glo-colored, bizarro version of suburbia where adults wear braces on their already-straight teeth, everyone drives golf carts, and children magically turn into golden retrievers, soccer moms and best friends Jill (DeBoer) and Lisa (Luebbe) are locked in a passive aggressive battle-of-the-wills that takes a turn into the sinister when Lisa begins systematically taking over every aspect of Jill’s life — starting with her newborn daughter. Meanwhile, a psycho yoga teacher killer is on the loose, Jill’s husband (Beck Bennett) has developed a curious taste for pool water, and Lisa is pregnant with a soccer ball.”
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The movie also stars Neil Casey, Mary Holland, and D’Arcy Carden.
“Greener Grass” premiered at Sundance earlier this year, where it received rave reviews. The film was included in IndieWire’s annual Memo to Distributors singling out Sundance sales titles worthy of release, in which Managing Editor Christian Blauvelt wrote: “DeBoer and Luebbe’s vision is so strong you don’t just watch ‘Greener Grass,’ you visit it. And weirdly, you may never want to leave.”
The comedy began as a short, which DeBoer and Luebbe made as a proof-of-concept for an intended TV series treatment. That short won Special Jury Recognition for Writing at SXSW in 2016. The duo then worked with the IFC TV channel to turn it into a show, but as they were writing it decided to turn it into a feature instead.
“You can say they’re the next ‘X’ duo, or female comedy team, but they’re so unique individually and so unique as a team,” IFC’s Arianna Bocco said to IndieWire earlier this year. “I think they’re going to go very far because of how distinct they are.”
IFC Midnight will release “Greener Grass” at its New York theater and on VOD on October 18. Check out the wacky trailer below.
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