Film Review – The Threesome (2025)

      The Threesome, 2025.

      Directed by Chad Hartigan.

      Starring Zoey Deutch, Jonah Hauer-King, Ruby Cruz, Jaboukie Young-White, Josh Segarra, Robert Longstreet, Arden Myrin, Kristin Slaysman, Allan McLeod, Julia Sweeney, Tommy Do.

      SYNOPSIS:

      A young man’s ongoing crush leads him to an unanticipated threesome, which he views as his ultimate fantasy. However, when the fantasy subsides, all three find themselves grappling with serious real-world consequences that require them to take responsibility for their actions.

      There are two approaches to this film where a well-intentioned man unexpectedly finds himself to be the father of two children with different women, a scenario that partly arose from a three-way: it can either unfold as a straightforward romantic drama or embrace the absurdity of the situation for a romantic comedy. Titled The Threesome, this film illustrates a director's uncertainty about which route to pursue, hoping that blending the two tones would be effective. For director Chad Hartigan and screenwriter Ethan Ogilby, it does not quite succeed.

      Initially, it appears that the filmmakers may succeed. The narrative takes its time to develop the characters, clarifying their desires and relationships. Connor Blake (played by Jonah Hauer-King, whose performance feels mismatched and lacks depth) eloquently expresses the benefits partners provide for one another, as seen in the opening where he gives a speech for his best friend and newlywed, Greg (Jaboukie Young-White), yet his own love life lacks direction.

      Connor harbors feelings for long-time crush Olivia Capitano (Zoey Deutch, who delivers an outstanding performance in a character that proves to be the most intricate), who seems disinterested. Or perhaps she is aware that their visions for the future do not align. Additionally, there's the complication of her attraction to bad boy Kevin (Josh Segarra), with whom she is attempting to end her involvement.

      Olivia grapples with these conflicting emotions by interrupting a conversation between Connor and Jenny Brooks (Ruby Cruz), who has been left waiting by a date at the bar where she and Greg work, following Greg's suggestion to meet new people. She begins to realize that she may have been taking Connor’s kindness for granted, as she observes how effortlessly he connects with someone new. Thus, Olivia becomes a wingman for Connor. Ultimately, however, the three come together and have offscreen sex (ironically, even a film named The Threesome is sanitized in this current era devoid of frank sexual content in mainstream American cinema), which triggers a series of new dynamics among them that quickly escalate into serious and life-altering situations.

      After that night, Connor and Olivia start to consider the possibility of a serious relationship, especially after another sexual encounter results in Olivia becoming pregnant. Although the shy, inexperienced Jenny, raised in a Christian household, does not regret their brief sexual exploration and had never assumed Connor would want a follow-up date (despite the unsettling nature of his ghosting, revealing more about the disheartening realities of modern dating), it turns out that the morning shower sex they had while Olivia was absent also leads to a pregnancy.

      Throughout the three trimesters, Connor strives to support both Olivia and Jenny as their relationships evolve. Olivia contemplates whether to keep the child, particularly after discovering the morning encounter that took place without her knowledge, which she finds hurtful, even though they weren't officially dating at that time. She still loves him and wrestles with the public's perception of her if she were to take back a man who also intends to be part of another child's life from a different sexual partner. Meanwhile, Jenny’s religious upbringing surfaces; although she is not particularly devout, she worries about her parents' views on her being somewhat of a single mother, fabricating a genuine relationship with Connor in front of them until she feels it is the right time to reveal their relationship was more of a fling and that he is not her partner in the traditional sense.

      This premise offers intriguing and relatively fresh dramatic content (captured with striking cinematography by Sing Howe Yam, including a scene where a conversation between two characters is mirrored beautifully) but is undermined by occasional forays into situational comedy or a regrettably predictable twist that complicates rather than enriches the story.

      Connor himself often becomes annoying, making inappropriate jokes not out of malice but as a misguided coping mechanism. At times, this seems to reflect the filmmakers' uncertainty about what to do with the characters and the material, aside from attempting to comment on societal issues. There is a third-act scenario that seems ripe for a full comedic exploration yet abruptly shifts back to poorly executed drama. Even attempts to humanize Jenny’s family come off as half-hearted, as we never truly get to know them or learn much about her.