Summary

I Don’t Understand You is a fun comedy that is a love letter to queer parents adopting, with darkly funny twists.
Andrew Rannells and Nick Kroll deliver strong performances as a couple facing adoption challenges.
The film’s humor and emotional beats are well-balanced, providing an engaging and heartfelt story.

I Don’t Understand You starts on a familiar note. Andrew Rannells and Nick Kroll take on their usual comedic tones to portray Cole and Dom, two loving, slightly eccentric, hopeful parents. On their 10th anniversary, the couple embark on the adoption journey again to kickstart the family they’ve always dreamed of having. They are quirky goofballs who complement each other’s idiosyncrasies.

Everything seems to be following a predictable path. That is, until the couple gets on a plane to Italy to celebrate their anniversary, and Rannells’ Cole has blood dripping on him from the overhead compartment. This kicks off writer-directors David Joseph Craig and Brian Crano’s twisted, endearing, dark comedy about a gay couple wanting to be parents so badly. The age-old question is put to the test: How far are you willing to go for your child?

An American couple, on the verge of adopting a baby, goes on an Italian vacation — an opportunity to reconnect before the new addition arrives. Everything is picture-perfect; the epitome of a European baby moon, when things begin to spiral out of control. ProsI Don’t Understand has the right amount of comedy and horrorThe story is sincere and a love letter to gay adoptive parentsDespite its scary moments, the film is deep and heartfeltThere are plenty of laughs thanks to Kroll & Rannells’ performances

I Don’t Understand You is rather dark — though it’s not precisely a horror despite its genre classification — but Craig and Crano are so clearly working from a place of love and sincerity. The grim situations Cole and Dom find themselves in feel like the result of a couple spending a night drinking and playing an absurd game of “what if?”. There are shocking moments, but the film takes a very humorous route with some rather poignant moments of emotion as the couple figure out their situation in Italy and their future with their potential son.

I Don’t Understand You Takes A Dark & Twisted Path To Express Adoration For Gay Adoptive Parents

This film is best experienced when knowing next to nothing about it. As the movie starts, you believe you will get a somewhat sappy but endearing tale of a couple overcoming their troubles to meet each other halfway, acknowledging each other’s anxieties, and growing together as they invest their whole hearts into adopting their son. Quirky and funny, I Don’t Understand You lulls us into a false sense of security.

We think we know what will happen as the couple goes on an anniversary trip to Italy. Their underlying issues manifest during inopportune times, and these unfortunate accidents exacerbate their problems, as they stumble from one hilarious scenario to another, eventually coming to understand each other. Before that happens, however, the film throws us for a loop and just keeps escalating in a darkly funny way.

I Don’t Understand You
is a twisted love letter to queer parents who must endure great stress, heartache, and loss when going through the difficult adoption process.

The writing is witty and fun, and the comedy is light, letting Rannells and Kroll build their rapport and direction as skilled comedians. The movie never lets up on the sentimental aspects, instead twisting it to really drive home the funnier elements of the darker situations Cole and Dom face. Craig and Cano don’t overdo it with the camera; there is a steady approach that allows for the story to really steer the emotions in any given scene. The directors understand clearly that they just need to trust their actors.

That said, the addition of Amanda Seyfried as the woman putting up her baby for adoption was a touch too much. While effective as an actress in conveying her character’s heartache and hope, I Don’t Understand You didn’t need to include the mother. Granted, the filmmakers were probably acknowledging the unacknowledged bravery and pain these women go through as they endure a grueling pregnancy, only to give up their children. But for a film that has quite a bit going on, it wasn’t necessary.

Andrew Rannells & Nick Kroll Are A Dynamic Duo That Sell The Sweet & Macabre Moments
The performances are key here. Rannells and Kroll’s earnestness and genuine chemistry are vital for this horror comedy to land its jokes and emotional beats. There seems to be a natural collaborative process at work, with the dialogue feeling very natural despite the unnatural circumstances. When it comes to the adoption plot, the two do very well at conveying the depth of their characters’ desperation, hopefulness, and heartache from past traumatic experiences. The film doesn’t dwell on this too much, and that’s for the best, only because the underlying text is prominent.

Additionally, Rannells and Kroll adequately portray the very authentic annoyances and tears that arise during long-term relationships. Sometimes, people don’t talk through their issues when they come up, letting them build, ruining a fun, relaxing trip in the process. It’s so typical, and amid the chaos in the movie, Craig and Crano convey it all very well, with Rannells and Kroll following their informed guidance.

I Don’t Understand You (2024) Director David Joseph Craig , Brian Crano Release Date March 8, 2024 Writers David Joseph Craig , Brian Crano Cast Nick Kroll , Andrew Rannells , Morgan Spector , Nunzia Schiano , Paolo Romano , Eleonara Romandini , Cecilia Dazzi , Giuseppe Attanasio Runtime 96 Minutes

I Don’t Understand You is a twisted love letter to queer parents who must endure great stress, heartache, and loss when going through the difficult adoption process. A journey that can be beautiful for most can be a nightmare for non-heteronormative parents. Craig and Crano take an eccentric route to tell what is ultimately a very heartfelt story about a loving couple who just want to enjoy the thrill of becoming a family. For Cole and Dom, the journey to adopt is a touch too thrilling, but for audiences, there is quite a nice story to enjoy here.

I Don’t Understand You
premiered at the 2024 SXSW Film Festival.