I Used to be Funny is a must-watch dramedy for Canadian film lovers

A controversial pitch for movie lovers this weekend: Go see a small-budget Canadian indie instead of the big-budget fourth sequel of Bad Boys. Canadian filmmaker Ally Pankiw's debut feature film I Used to be Funny hits theatres this weekend. 

After Pankiw directed a buzzy 2023 episode of Black Mirror starring Annie Murphy and Salma Hayek, the big question became, "What is she going to do next?"

Turns out it's I Used to be Funny, a movie she started writing in 2013. The proudly Canadian production was shot and set in Toronto. 

The new dramedy, starring indie darling and overall fantastic actress Rachel Sennott (Bodies Bodies Bodies, Shiva Baby), is a triumph of a debut, despite being a tough sell on paper.

The film is about overcoming trauma, a plot that can make audiences feel like they "should" watch a film, rather than one they race to see. But thoughtful and innovative story-telling, editing and tour-de-force performances show how a film like this can be funny, smart and compelling.

I Used to Be Funny centres on Sam, a Toronto comedian who has lost everything.

When we meet Sam, she's no longer doing standup, paying rent or leaving the house. The film jumps between a time when Sam was doing much better — when she was funny and employed, a bubbly, sharply dressed woman with clean hair — and when she isn't that interested in getting out of bed. 

At a tight hour and 45 minutes, the film moves quickly, and is buoyed by so many laughs — including some hilarious roommate scenes. 

Lines like "I feel like his hair has gotten more incel-y," and "She's not dying, she's still bullying us on Twitter" land with great effect — and the back-and-forth between Sam and her best friend Paige (played with a casual ease by Canadian actress Sabrina Jalees) shows how much the two care for each other.  

What works well here is there aren't any grand speeches or call-to-action moments. Nor does Paige treat Sam with kid gloves. She doesn't push, but she does make jokes, and reminds Sam about what she used to love about her life.

Those interactions are punctuated by short standup scenes at Toronto's Comedy Bar, which plays itself in the film. 

Standup comedy has been perennially difficult for television and film to get right, and many have written about why that is.

In that regard, I Used to be Funny is unusual — its fictional standup is genuinely funny. 

Perhaps that's because Sennott is such a strong actress and standup comic in real life, or because her sense of humour blends so effortlessly with Pankiw's.