I Used to Go Here (2020) User Reviews (41)

So much potential, movie could have been better

[cseabhi · 6/10 · 8 August 2020]

Well the back to school scenes, made me nostalgic a bit. My expectations went way higher. I thought, maybe this movie could be a great mood lifter for me. But the story seems to get drifted away. Thankfully I ended up liking the movie.

Kris Rey have done a good job, but the movie demanded more. 'I Used to go here' lacked the depth and impact but I liked the self discovery path the movie has shown and the authentic story. Kris has lots of potential and this movie shows this.

Loved Gillian Jacobs in the movie.

It's alright

[adenzin-20859 · 7/10 · 13 June 2021]

It's not a bad film. I don't mind to see a movie once in a while just about life, nothing fancy. Gilian Jacobs is pretty good as usual and the photography is pretty nice. It is not boring as others stated. Give it a try. Samberg produced it :-)

A slow slice of life movie

[eaddict · 6/10 · 7 August 2020]

The pace was a tad slow and I could not really get in to caring what Kate did or said. There were some cute side stories and characters. Many stereo types for the side characters (ie the BnB owner, Tall Brad). Some things just didn't make sense (keys?).

Middling indie fare.

[Dan_Garten · 13 August 2020]

I appreciate when a movie has even a faintly casual/mature attitude towards certain controversial subjects, but for the most part, this is your standard, undercooked indie dramedy.

needs more

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 20 November 2020]

Kate Conklin (Gillian Jacobs) should be happy after publishing her first novel. She's not. The book is not selling well. Her book tour gets cancelled. Her love life had cratered. Her friends are pregnant and moving on. Her old writing professor David Kirkpatrick (Jemaine Clement) invites her to speak at her alma mater. She's staying at a B&B across the street from her former home which houses a new group of student writers.

This is a small indie with a little bit of quirky humorous moments and light weight drama. Mostly, it's elevated by the appealing Gillian Jacobs' charms. It's slow at times and struggles to generate narrative momentum. There is one small section in the middle where it becomes a fun mission. It would be interesting to expand that part. The movie does need to add more to the script. I would change the last line to, "I could have done better. I will do better." It's more affirmative and more directed at herself. Overall, this feels like a second or third draft. It needs some more stuffing to fill up the script.

Perfectly serviceable indie

[sick_desperation · 7/10 · 3 December 2020]

Small slice of life movie about a struggling author that will resonate if you've been feeling bad about your career. The cast includes many from the best music comedy groups: Jemaine Clement, (Flight of the Conchords), Kate Micucci (Garfunkel & Oates) and Jorma Taccone (Lonely Island), plus the Community alumn Ms. Jacobs in the starring role.

Don't come in hoping for big laughs or outrageous situations, because this ain't it.

It could've been better!

[byrnensorg · 4/10 · 8 August 2020]

Went into this not expecting greatness, possibly mildly entertained, and it did that but that's it. Characters are all flat and cliched including the letch Kiwi Professor. I really didn't feel any connection or empathy for any of the characters, everyone seemed so wooden. The trailer was good though, but unfortunately it had all the best bits, like the book of the main character, it could've been better.

Could have been better

[maccas-56367 · 7/10 · 12 July 2021]

I was quite enjoying this and its slice-of-life vibe, before it just petered out into nothingness, without any real resolution or satisfaction.

Jemaine Clement was great in the few scenes he was in. He plays a bad guy quite effectively. Gillian Jacobs was the one who made the film watchable though - she brought a realism and humour to things which elevated certain scene. She shared some great chemistry with Josh Wiggins.

Oddly enough, it was Tall Brandon (Brandon Daley) and Hugo's Mom (Jennifer Joan Taylor) which stole the show and had the best chemistry. Equal parts heartwarming and hilarious, the film could have done with more such moments.

This could have been something really special and is most definitely summed up by its (abrupt) final line: "could have been better".

The sloth of movies

[paulcsavoie · 3/10 · 17 August 2020]

The movie begins with a strong sense of nostalgia. Nostalgia for any who experienced a far from home college experience. The beginning of the movie creates building blocks for a strong and personable film, but ultimately falls flat on its face. As the film progresses, well I must say it really doesn't progress. The film lack climax and or eventful situations that bring the viewer more and more intrigued into the cinema spectacular. The film for me, although at times may have some mediocre parts, earns itself a 3 star rating. The reason being the structure of the fill is flat, the timeline slow, and the punch almost non existent.

Intriguing and involving

[theognis-80821 · 7/10 · 24 December 2020]

Kris Rey performs the magic trick of making a realistic, entertaining low budget movie: a light comedy about a neophyte novelist enmeshed in the unpleasant foppery of an author's book tour. Like all writers, she's immersed in her past and like some, reverts to it. Gillian Jacobs shines in the lead role, with an able supporting cast. Josh Wiggins is a young actor, with a bright future. Altogether, a very professional job that could not have been better, without becoming forced and pretentious.

I tried really hard to like it...

[mhuseman-20255 · 1/10 · 17 January 2021]

I was engaged for the first 20 minutes even laughing out loud a few times, then too quickly lost interest. Where the movie tries to be nostalgic; unfortunately it fails, sliding into immaturity and boringness. The plot could have gone in so many directions emotionally; however, It was a quick decline into stupidity and nonsensical dialogue. Some of the characters could have had longer/more inventive parts which would have perhaps made this more appealing; ie the B&B proprietor adding more comical dialogue. It was a little depressing to watch so not sure why it's categorized as comedy/drama.

BACK TO SCHOOL

[js-66130 · 8/10 · 7 August 2020]

Can a mid-life crisis sneak up on a 35 year old? Let's not be ageist about this matter, of course it can.

Gillian Jacobs translates her wonderfully sassy yet confused young woman character of "Love" (Netflix, worth the binge) into aspiring author Kate Jacobs, rebounding from a cancelled book tour to revisit her alma mater at the request of her old prof crush.

Mayhem ensues. Well, not really, but something better. Whilst her friends are back home with very pregnant bellies, single Kate anxiously jumps back into college, if only for a brief escapade. Enraptured by the youth and vitality of her previous life, Kate slips back into a comfy place, leaving her spiralling mess adult self behind.

Avoiding sliding into "Animal House" debauchery, "I Used To Go Here" tackles a series of comedic and romantic escapades in a fresh, believable manner. Kate's complicated relationship with her old mentor (a wonderfully nuanced turn by Jermaine Clement) is at the core of the film, isn't dwelled on but played out naturally, and revisited cleverly when the movie comes full circle.

All this rests on the lead's shoulders, and she manages to shoulder it quite well. Jacobs is that rare breed: a wide-eyed actor who is both endearing and relatable enough to carry the movie, which as it turns out, is pretty good.

• hipCRANK

Weird movie, but I liked it

[right_naw · 6/10 · 27 February 2021]

First of all it's not a total waste of time,as some review says... it's also not an ideal movie, but at least the plot avoided many clichés and logically ended without any pretensions to a profound ending. "I used to go here" hits some interesting points I haven't seen before and left a pleasant impression

Uneven

[ngruber-1 · 4/10 · 13 January 2021]

The tone was all over the place. Sometimes people behaved like they do in the real world and other people were in some totally different movie (the bed and breakfast host was unrealistic, bradley cooper?). It felt like Kris decided to shoot the third draft of this script instead of getting some good notes. It was sadly also just one of those films where you wonder what the point of it was. What was the filmmaker trying to convey. This is how I felt about Swanberg's previous effort as well. Maybe, like the protagonist of this movie, She's just not a very good writer.

I enjoyed it

[Gordon-11 · 14 August 2020]

I think this film is a great mix of comedy and drama. The jokes are pretty funny, and I like the fact that it is free from gross humour. The drama side of the author's lack of success connects with me as well. I enjoyed it.

Back to College-ish

[sdhenry-80302 · 7/10 · 15 April 2021]

I loved it's awkwardness. To me, it's somewhat plausible. It cracked me up. I could identify with returning to a college apt. And hanging out for a weekend and revisiting some of the best years of my life. Then, going back to realidad.

slight but enjoyable

[TristramShandy · 7/10 · 23 June 2022]

It's hard to do sweet without being saccharine (which, apparently, is a problem with Kate's book), but I think this accomplished walking that line. If you need to have an antagonist to enjoy a movie, this probably isn't for you. The characters are all likable. This isn't trying to win awards, and it isn't accidentally going to accomplish that, but if your desires are watching an enjoyable film with characters that you'll like, this meets that criteria.

Nothing to see here...

[aburgan · 4/10 · 10 February 2021]

Uneventful, dull, boring. No plot. Aimless. Honestly don't know what this was supposed to be about or what writer was trying to convey.

Kept waiting for it to get better. It didn't.

[crisemoomo · 2/10 · 8 January 2021]

I really hoped it would be better. It wasn't. Bad acting, REALLY bad script and overall a bad movie. Only gave it 2 stars because I feel bad for the actors who had to painfully participate in this awful movie.

Complete Trash

[rachduarte · 1/10 · 9 August 2020]

As a thirty-something female with friends who run the gamut in terms of achieved success, I found this movie completely cringe and unrelatable. I truly can't imagine any combination of nostalgia, low self-esteem, and opportunity that would prompt any of us to become so enmeshed with college students. FFS, who would actually think it's okay as a 35 year old to go to a house party, get high while tagging along on an outing, break into a house-with COLLEGE KIDS? And why is no one pointing out the disgusting nature of the 3 older adult-college student relationships that are portrayed? ESPECIALLY the power dynamics of the older male professor taking advantage of the young female student- that this movie attempts to show it as a "complicated" situation (his wife is actually in Kentucky to *gasp* sleep with her ex-husband, not visit her sister! Sympathy for the old prof!) is trash. Eye rolls all around.

Enjoyable and Relatable Indie Film

[TheHound16 · 10/10 · 29 April 2021]

I adore this movie! I've seen it a handful of times now - it's the type of film you can always watch when it's playing on tv. The character's are lovable, vulnerable, and just so human. You feel as if they're your friends.

Great performances all around, the humor is delightful, and also a very real and relatable commentary on the publishing world that I'm sure all authors can relate to.

Lovely film, highly recommend!

HOW DOES ONE OF THE GREAT COMIC ACTRESSES OF HER TIME KEEP MAKING SUCH INDIE NONSENSE?!

[baroncoco · 2/10 · 15 August 2020]

Two stars out of respect for Gillian Jacobs' early work, BUT: Why does she pick such bad projects? She may, I suppose, think that "Community" boxed her in, but she showed enormous range in that show. And was one of the bright spots in early projects like "Walk of Shame." But all recent work, like this sophomoric tripe, lead to the conclusion that she may be suffering from "I'm an ahc-tress" syndrome. And it's not that this is dark; it's just indie tripe. IT'S NOT SPECIAL JUST BECAUSE IT'S THE PRECIOUS GENERATIONS! Jacobs had a rough life in some ways, but...she needs better guidance.

The very strange remark !

[dktuck · 3/10 · 9 August 2020]

This is for people who have seen the film, so...

Apart from the embarrassing and obvious trope of Kate fretting over her ex-on social media .... seriously is there any other story in modern dramas?...And the trope of her being a writer and the trope of her returning to her past... Kris Rey, the writer/director, incidentally she's the new girlfriend on Kate's ex's Instagram ,also created a strange cold moment when Kate and the students , are swimming.

The young guy reveals that he has read an old piece of Kate's . An essay about her dead brother..

Young Guy: I wish I could write like that.

Kate : It's not really my style any more, it's out of fashion.

Is she a goddam droid !? Is he ? No follow up questions ? No, sympathy ? Nope, just a quick follow up chat about getting high then some splashing about with a football. It is never mentioned again and has no impact on the story.

Any sympathy I had for the character 'Kate' vanished when I realised she was indifferent to genuine tragedy and simply used it to try further her unsuccessful writing career. 15 years to write her first book..why the rush ?

Also , while you're here, although the cast is multi ethic , she only has proper long scenes with other white people. Which seemed odd.

I really wanted to like this movie

[filman-2 · 3/10 · 20 November 2020]

It was awful!. The story was weak, the acting was bad. I couldn't wait for it to finish!

Not boring but ....

[ks-60500 · 4/10 · 22 August 2020]

Just treat a small movie to watch and the laugh part can be better and characters created kinda boring....