How many unique comic characters do we see these days?
Think Austin Powers, Capt. Jack Sparrow and Derek Zoolander. These larger-than-life types are played by actors who never step out of character for a nanosecond.
Esther Povitsky’s character in “Drugstore June” is cut from similar cloth. June defies pat labels, providing a fresh source of laughter in this 90-minute treat. Chances are you’ll want to see her again as soon as possible.
Povitsky’s June works at a drugstore and still lives at home with her dysfunctional Ma and Pa (Beverly D’Angelo and James Remar, both rock solid). Her life revolves around live streaming every inane thought that pops into her head and fleeing “trauma” in the form of mild insults and observations.
The early scenes suggest director/co-writer Nicholaus Goossen is gunning for woke snowflakes who overshare on social media. That’s June, to a point, but she won’t be defined by that glib assessment.
Her drugstore gets robbed early in the film, and June eventually decides to take up the investigation after being grilled by two fed-up cops. She’s no Columbo, to put it mildly, but she might just get results.
That’s as much plot as “Drugstore June” allows, but it’s more than enough to keep our attention. The rest is up to Povitsky and a small band of comics-turned-actors to enliven the film and keep the laughs flowing.
That means “Drugstore June” co-producers Bill Burr and Al Madrigan steal scenes as a family doctor and detective, respectively. Trevor Howard’s weed-addled entrepreneur heists a few more. Comic Ms. Pat just needs seconds of screen time to do the same.
The laughs spread liberally across the film, but “Drugstore June” doesn’t work without Povitsky. Her June should be detestable – she’s entitled, lazy and disconnected from reality.
What’s to love … or even like?
Except a great performance supersedes all of the above and makes us connect with a deeply flawed soul. We love June despite ourselves.
“Drugstore June” doesn’t deliver outrageous set pieces you’ll tell your friends about. Instead, the comedy is baked into the narrative and the smiles don’t fade until the final seconds.
Goossen and Povitsky have plenty to say about today’s youth, from June’s toxic younger brother (Brandon Wardell) to the main character’s inability to leave the nest. The film’s withering take on social media should feel stale by 2024 but it never does.
‘Drugstore June’ Avoids Comedy Pitfalls
June’s attempts to seduce a drugstore customer (Danny Griffin) prove hilarious, and the film’s modest attempts at dream sequences similarly score.
Even better?
June’s visit to a marijuana dispensary, which packs more laughs than most modern comedies.
Movies like “Drugstore June” can fail for many reasons.
- Wrong casting
- Wrong tone
- Inconsistent tone
- Third-act lectures (one scene comes close but quickly swerves away)
- Twee storytelling
- Uneven screenplay
- Character exhaustion
None of the above apply to “Drugstore June.” It’s a future cult classic for all the right reasons.
HiT or Miss: “Drugstore June” is a delight, a cleverly constructed character study of someone we may think we’ve seen before, but every new scene reminds us we haven’t.
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