Drugstore June, 2024.
Directed by Nicholaus Goossen.
Starring Esther Povitsky, Bobby Lee, Haley Joel Osment, Beverly D’Angelo, Matt Walsh, James Remar, Brandon Wardell, Danny Griffin, Patricia Williams, Miranda Cosgrove, Al Madrigal, Jackie Sandler, Nick Rutherford, Nic Nemeth, Jon Park, Trevor Wallace, Bhad Bhabie, Steph Tolev, Gerald ‘Slink’ Johnson, Courtney D’Angelo, Jon Gabrus, Joe Hursley, and Bill Burr.
SYNOPSIS:
After the pharmacy in her small town is robbed, a girl who still lives at home with her parents takes matters into her own hands to solve the crime, while at the same time trying to get over her ex-boyfriend and become more of an adult.
If Nancy Drew were a self-absorbed, easily-triggered millennial streamer still living with her parents, she would be the eponymous bored, airheaded sleuth at the center of Drugstore June. That doesn’t necessarily sound like a character one would want to spend 90 minutes with, but rest assured, co-writer director Nicholaus Goossen (most infamously known for stoner comedy Grandma’s Boy) and screenwriter/star Esther Povitsky (also a stand-up comedian and podcaster) are telling a story of emotional growth. Granted, it might not seem like it, considering the first 30 minutes or so come across as deliberately constructed to present June as irritating as possible, given her selfishness, laziness, and outrageous sensitivity.
For much of the film, it is safe to say viewers will be on the side of the well-meaning but annoyed sports gambling father (James Remar), who criticizes her gluten-free diet, her unhealthy obsession with an ex-boyfriend (Haley Joel Osment) now moved on with a fiancé, and her incredibly unmotivated ways of lounging around at home streaming to her followers whenever not working a thankless job at the particular drug store. June’s mother (Beverly D’Angelo) is naturally the sweeter, more enabling one, also quick to engage with some of those commenters who are quick to compliment her after she intrudes on one of the streams. Then there is her teenage PC gaming brother (Brandon Wardell), who somehow might already be a more productive person in life than her.
Esther Povitsky is perhaps too convincing in this role tailor-made for her, certainly coming across as abrasive and irksome, but the script also, for too long, seems to have solely created this character just as a means for other characters to make fun of her and, by extension, the audience to laugh at her in a somewhat mean-spirited manner. This character is aggravating, but that doesn’t mean there is fun in watching others tear her down and point out what makes her insufferable.
It’s not until the pharmacy June works at alongside her manager Bill (Bobby Lee) is robbed at night, subsequently causing her to fill some gaps in her uneventful life by investigating who did it, that there is some reason to invest in the character and film. June also has a sweet dynamic with Bill, who is aware she is a slacker and unafraid to call her out on it and how she sometimes rubs customers the wrong way, but is also forgiving and senses that, if nothing else, she is reliable to come into work.
The case takes June down a rabbit hole of suspects, many of whom have no reason to be put under a microscope, except she does so anyway as a warped means of getting to a firmer understanding of the people’s lives around her. She ends up interrogating her family, the gambling den her father frequents, a weed dispensary that also has problems with nighttime robberies, and a doctor (Bill Burr) who she doesn’t like for criticizing her lifestyle. Meanwhile, the police suspect that the robbery may have been staged or intentional so Bill could collect some insurance money.
When the comedy is less concerned with punching down at June but letting her be weird (such as a strange and random ramble she goes on about the phrase “hot and ready”), she is somewhat tolerable and funny. The jokes still mostly fall flat here, and the mystery aspect is practically the only thing to keep one engaged, but every once in a while, something distinct and awkwardly charming will come out of her mouth. There is also an intriguing ensemble assembled here that doesn’t consist of star power but rather noteworthy names that add up for cumulative effect.
Drugstore June is offputting throughout most of its running time, and it feels more interested in taking the lazy route, making fun of this character instead of illuminating anything worthwhile about her or millennials. Still, there would be some joy to be had in watching her tackle another mystery.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★
Robert Kojder is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association and the Critics Choice Association. He is also the Flickering Myth Reviews Editor. Check here for new reviews, follow my Twitter or Letterboxd, or email me at MetalGearSolid719@gmail.com
