Sofa, So Good debuted at last year's edition of the Cleveland International Film Festival and has since enjoyed no less than three screenings at the London Film Festival, where it received its European premiere. Written and directed by the Thiele Brothers (Kyle, Eli and Cole), the film is a slight mumblecore comedy that follows the exploits of two Ohio cousins who, after purchasing a second-hand sofa, find themselves struggling to transport it home. What follows is a monochrome trek across the cousins' hometown, in which a routine task escalates into a byzantine journey replete with frustrating incidents and oddball characters.
The film's premise is as straightforward as it is relatable, exploring themes of friendship, determination, and the inherent vagaries of life. It tells a story recognisable to anyone who has taken on a simple challenge that unexpectedly snowballed into a labyrinthine ordeal, and the Thiele Brothers have crafted a tale that encourages viewers to see the funny side of the quotidian hurdles we all face—or at the very least, find humour in the ways in which we might attempt to solve such problems. The film's conclusion, while thuddingly predictable, is as absurd as what has come before, and reminds us not to take things too seriously.
This amusingly titled film could also be viewed as a microcosm of life as a whole: is each of us, in our own way, heaving the couch across town, and if so, to what avail? Set and filmed entirely in and around the rust belt city of Dayton, Sofa, So Good was made—with the barest of skeleton crews—during the 2020 lockdown; as such, its weirdly unpopulated streets add to the surreal, off-kilter nature of a movie that maintains the same low-key pace for much of its brisk running time. While it certainly doesn't deliver a surfeit of laughs, this engaging throwback nevertheless serves as a sturdy example of pandemic-era indie filmmaking.
