The pitch for I Don’t Understand You suggests a simple comedy of escalating cultural misunderstandings. However, David Joseph Craig and Brian Crano‘s film has more in store than the usual touristy hijinks experienced whenever vacationing abroad. Far more. Beneath the sorta saccharine surface lurks a dark turn just waiting to catch viewers off guard.
Nick Kroll and Andrew Rannells‘ characters, respectively Dom and Cole, are a fairly average gay couple with a not-so-fairly average problem: they are trying to adopt again after being burned by a fraudulent mommy-to-be. And before jetting off to Italy for their anniversary and babymoon — spending quality time together before the baby arrives — they finally meet the biological mother (Amanda Seyfried) of their potential forever child. High off the good news, it seems like nothing can spoil the new parents’ trip. Of course that’s before Dom’s family friend makes a change in the protagonists’ itinerary.
The film’s gradual descent into chaos is equal parts hilarious and horrifying. Craig and Crano don’t waste much time throwing their characters into an ominous situation. While driving through the woods somewhere in rural Italy, on the way to a rustic restaurant for dinner, Dom and Cole become stranded out in the rain. Now, if this is sounding more and more like a horror film, that’s because it pretty much is one. The cheery optimism of before is quickly replaced by dread. The tone doesn’t entirely change, though. The humor simply takes on a darker flavor as Dom and Col’s night goes south.
As the characters miraculously reach their destination in one piece, Craig and Crano begin to subvert the “visitors versus locals” tropes already at play. Neither Dom nor Cole being able to speak Italian increases the tension, and mix-ups and miscommunication become theirs and others’ downfall. Again, though, I Don’t Understand You undermines those early clichés. And it’s all for the best because, otherwise, the film could have been more predictable. It’s likely viewers will now have a hard time forgetting much of anything once the storm knocks out the restaurant’s power and everyone’s scrambling around in the dark.
The ending will possibly leave a sour taste in some mouths. However, I Don’t Understand You is foremost a comedy that pokes fun at everyone, especially the creators. The main targets are privileged Americans and the Italian legal system (a knock at consulting producer Amanda Knox perhaps?). There is also the matter of generational differences between younger and older queer folks; Dom and Cole’s inability to not see homophobia everywhere is a running joke throughout the film.
Queer dark comedies are hard to come by, so I Don’t Understand You is rather energizing as a first-time watch. Going in with no inkling of what lies ahead is the best choice, but even just knowing the film has a major case of genre blurring — often in a good way — doesn’t spoil the amusement. Additionally, Nick Kroll and Andrew Rannells’ amazing, not to mention convincing chemistry is the glue that keeps this uneven film together.
The transition from gay adoption comedy to black comedy won’t be universally loved, yet the effective performances and snappy humor help ease the audience through the transition.
I Don’t Understand You premiered at South by Southwest 2024.
Tales from the Paulside 
There is a dedication at the end naming “A.E., Washy, and Axle” – does anyone know who they are??
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