Movie Reviews

‘The Outside Story’ review: Reverse quarantine movie filled with charming characters

A reverse quarantine movie?

April 27, 2021

The Outside Story can be considered a reverse quarantine movie. Charles Young (Brian Tyree Henry) is an introverted film editor. He does not have many friends and is seemingly happy that way. When he locks himself out of his apartment, he is forced to confront the outside world and get to know his neighbors all while trying to get back inside his home.

It is a take on the shy person breaks out of their shell premise with a fun twist. As expected, The Outside Story is a character driven film. Charles is an immediately likable character. He has a morbid job and is dealing with a recent break up. Writer and director Casimir Nozkowski puts Charles in a position where it is impossible not to root for him.

Henry is exceptional in the lead role. The role of Charles requires plenty of emotional range which Henry is able to pull off. He is funny, depressed, angry, and frustrated throughout The Outside Story. Each time, it is believable. The rest of the cast also does well. There are no real weak links in regards to the characters. As Charles tries to get back into his apartment, there are a number of interactions. More often than not, they are very interesting.

These scenes also are the weakest part of The Outside Story. Quite simply, there are too many of them. Even the best segments seem to lack depth. The script would have been better served if Charles encountered less people. The film is telling a personal story that ends up getting watered down due to the somewhat rushed approach it chooses to take.

Still, there is a charm that remains throughout it all. The characters are engaging and Charles has an interesting character arc. Even when The Outside Story falters, it is still a engaging watch. In the next few months, there will probably be plenty of movies about characters begin trapped inside; it is nice to see one the other way around.