Forgotten Film Friday: Unpregnant

A review by Azzam Abdur-Rahman

When I was a young bucks I used to obsess over the films made by the Asylum. If you don’t know who in gods green earth I am talking about I’ll say one word “Sharknado” before Sci-Fi snatched them up to make low budget originals they were gaming bad moms at Blockbuster making cheap versions of blockbusters they called mock busters. The movies were made on shoestring budgets and tried to deliver something in the vein of the films they “borrowed” from. This was a Rodger Corman factory if I had ever seen one. So it’s not shocking a great director who can deliver films on time and well under budget but make them good would come from that hellscape.

Unpregnant is the 10th film from director Rachel Lee Goldenburg and god damn does it show that she cut her teeth making shit cinematic with nothing. A buddy comedy about two friends driving to get one an abortion shouldn’t be fun. It shouldn’t have energy too it. It should feel like the stakes are always high but in a fun way. This is the woman who made Valley Girl a low-key amazing Musical as a Remake. This is the woman who made a deadly serious Lifetime movie staring Will Ferrel and Kristian Wiig. Her chops are insane and I feel like this movie like her others will go ignored.

Unpregnant is fun, it’s first act is fast and snappy. It’s 2nd act turns into an action film and it’s 3rd act a drama while still remaining a comedy all the way. The acting is incredible with Haley Lu Richardson and Barbie Ferreria just sharing chemistry in a way actors rarely get from partners. Amazing actors show up and just get up have fun because these girls are doing all the heavy lifting.

So, is this movie forgotten? Yes, unlike other films it’s is lost because of the streaming hellscape we have entered and will likely never get the love it needs and deserves. So if you have HBOMax and wants fun evening watching two girls fall back into a friendship they forgot about give Unpregnant a shot!

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