Addicted to Fresno movie review (2015)

Shannon (Judy Greer) has moved in with her sister Martha (Natasha Lyonne) after running away from rehab for sex addiction. She’s also been forced to get a job at the same hotel at which Martha works, run by Kristen (Jessica St. Clair), and where she meets Martha’s friendly co-worker Eric (Malcolm Barrett). Meanwhile, Shannon is sleeping with her married therapist Edwin (Ron Livingston) while Martha struggles with a recent break-up and ignores the advances of Kelly (Aubrey Plaza), who’s clearly romantically interested.

What starts as a character dramedy a la “Sunshine Cleaning” becomes something much different when Shannon decides to have quickie sex with a hotel guest (Jon Daly), and Martha bursts in on them. Shannon cries rape, Martha moves to defend her sister, and the guy ends up dead. Now, the sisters have to dispose of a body, which actually takes this sitcom-ish story to a crematorium and a Bar Mitzvah that the girls choose to rob. Molly Shannon, Fred Armisen, Kumail Nanjiani and Alison Tolman co-star in small roles. All should have known better.

There are so many unlikable characters and blatantly Look At How Edgy We Are joke topics here that it’s hard to keep track—rape, addiction, murder, dementia, Down’s Syndrome, etc. Do you find these things inherently hilarious? “Addicted to Fresno” is for you. Using this kind of material for humor is certainly not impossible, but it does demand a difficult tonal balance that Dornetto can’t manage. It’s more often gross and off-putting than funny. It’s like a stand-up comedian trying out their new, edgy material to the sound of clinking glasses and hearty sighs. Do you think an old woman in a birthday hat in a wheelchair saying “poopy” is funny? Do you know anyone who does? If so, you may want to find new friends.