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?" REVIEW Bad Boys 4 shouldn't ride — it should die Here & Queer Ally Pankiw has directed some of your favourite shows — now she's making a leap to the big screen 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 th.
