Respond to these rapid questions in our Ingrid Goes West quiz and we will tell you which Ingrid Goes West character you are. Play it now.
Instagram celebrities, those camera-ready people (mostly women) who turn their lives into a “brand,” are the subject of a popular website devoted entirely to the “downfalls” of Instagram celebrities. A variety of “personal” photos of laughing babies, vaguely bearded husbands, shabby-chic lofts, and chunky dinnerware are featured on the Instagram feeds, with each post tagged with affiliate product links. While everyone is well aware that these feeds are fabricated, or at the very least “curated” to within an inch of their lives, the most popular ones have millions of followers. Every once in a while, one of these celebrities “falls.” The veil is lifted, revealing the flawed human beneath the surface. Schadenfreude is unattractive, but it is unavoidable. “Ingrid Goes West,” a new black comedy directed by Matt Spicer and starring Aubrey Plaza, is incredibly insightful about this subculture, about its appeal, but also about the traps of believing so completely in what is fictional, says the film’s director. The film is extremely intelligent, not least of which is the fact that it resists the temptation to devolve into a sentimental redemption story. With a razor-sharp edge, this is a daring comedy with a lot of bite.
After being denied an invitation to a wedding, Ingrid (Aubrey Plaza) is on her way to spray Mace in the bride’s face as a form of retaliation for not being invited. We later learn that the two women were not even close friends at the time of the incident. After becoming obsessed with this woman’s Instagram feed, Ingrid began to believe that they shared a personal connection. Following that, a brief stay in a psychiatric ward is required. Following Ingrid’s release, she quickly reverts to her previous behavior. Without an object of desire, life is simply not worth living. Ingrid becomes obsessed with an Instagram celebrity named “Taylor Sloane,” (Elizabeth Olsen), after reading about her in a women’s magazine, and she seizes the opportunity with the savvy of a professional stalker. If you look at Taylor’s Instagram feed (which you can see here), you’ll see a hypnotic onslaught of sunshine, happiness, and laughter. Ingrid, armed with the inheritance money she received from her recently deceased mother, travels to California in search of her long-lost best friend.
Ingrid relocates to Taylor’s neighborhood, where she rents an apartment from Dan (O’Shea Jackson Jr.), an aspiring screenwriter who is also a Batman fanatic. A healthy dose of skepticism and a healthy dose of humor permeate his interactions with this awkward girl, who pays her rent in cash and who has a dark cloud hanging over her head. Perhaps it takes an obsessive to recognize another obsessive who shares the same traits. Given that “Taylor” posts her entire life on Instagram, Ingrid is familiar with the cafes and shops that she frequents. Last but not least, she kidnaps Taylor’s famous dog in order to personally “return” it to Taylor. Taylor and her husband Ezra (of course, that’s his name) are so grateful that they invite Ingrid to join them for dinner the following night. Wyatt Russell portrays Ezra, who has a manbun to match his beard. You can tell almost immediately that things are not quite right in the world of Taylor Sloane (Olsen and Russell are outstanding), but Ingrid is completely oblivious to the warning signs.
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Despite the fact that you may already know where this is going, “Ingrid Goes West” deviates from the expected path. Much of the laughter stems from a sickening recognition of online behavior, which is something we all engage in. (There is a significant difference, for example, between responding to a post with “Hahahahaha” and responding with “Heh heh.” Which version of yourself do you want to present? Personality is reduced to a purely performative state.) It is true that the film evokes memories of “Single White Female,” but it has more in common with films that depict obsessive anti-social personalities, such as “The King of Comedy,” “Purple Noon,” “Watch and Report,” “Young Adult,” and “Welcome to Me.” Is it possible to “cure” someone like Ingrid? How does one go about creating a personality out of nothing? If the entire world serves as a mirror, how does one go about developing a sense of self in the first place? One thinks of Alain Delon’s performance as Tom Ripley in “Purple Noon,” in which he kisses his own reflection passionately while dressed in the dapper clothes of his friend. That isn’t exactly narcissism, at least not in the traditional sense. An attempt at emotional co-option is being attempted through this dangerous merging. “Ingrid Goes West” could have gone even further into that territory – there are a couple of moments where the film’s conviction wanes – but, in general, it does a fantastic job of keeping its eye on the ball and staying on track.
Ingrid Goes West Quiz
At times, the Plaza appears to be completely devoid of life. She has an obsessive-compulsive need to co-opt. She is not driven by a desire for significance. All that exists for her are the things she requires. You watch in horror as she makes embarrassing decision after embarrassing decision. Similarly, Plaza’s understanding of the character’s inner abyss is remarkable, as is her understanding that the character would be unable to stop even if she wanted to. Ingrid is a lonely and damaged woman who is grasping desperately for the totally inane and phony surfaces that fill Taylor’s Instagram feed in an attempt to fill her void. Other actors might beg for our sympathy, or they might try to “fill in” some of the gaps with their armchair psychological knowledge. Plaza, on the other hand, does not. She allows the blankness to remain, allowing it to be filled with echoes and reflections. Plaza’s true talent lies in portraying Ingrid as both hilarious and tragic at the same time. She doesn’t hold back when it comes to speaking her mind. It’s a combination of performance and social commentary.
Also, you will find out which character are you in this Ingrid Goes West quiz.
O’Shea Jackson, Jr. (who played his father Ice Cube in the critically acclaimed film “Straight Outta Compton”) provides a glimpse of the real world outside Ingrid’s bell jar, even as he is drawn into some of her schemes, whether he is willingly or unwittingly involved. Ingrid can be a bit of a petulant child at times, irritated that her friend won’t participate in the make-believe games she wants to play. Jackson infuses his scenes with an improvisational energy that gives the impression that he is constantly thinking more than he is saying. Ingrid takes advantage of his vulnerability. He lets some of it slide and calls her out on other aspects of it. Ingrid is completely absorbed in her fantasy that she fails to notice that there is some old-fashioned romantic chemistry between her and this guy.
About the quiz
With “Ingrid Goes West,” the filmmakers take a biting look at how we live now: glued to our phones, rote scrolling through someone else’s online life, and clicking “Hearts” without even pausing to take in the image at all. The film makes fun of things that didn’t even exist ten years ago but have now become such a part of our everyday lives that no one takes the time to think about the potential negative effects on our health and wellbeing. If everything is made public, where does one’s own identity exist? Is transforming yourself into a “brand” a good idea in the first place? If you don’t photograph it and, more importantly, don’t share it with the rest of the world, did it really happen?Also, you must try to play this Ingrid Goes West quiz.
For more personality quizzes check this: Colossal Quiz.
