the Oath 2018 Too Close to Be Funny

The Oath

Nothing is more American than family drama

In a politically-divided United States, a man struggles to make it through the Thanksgiving holiday without destroying his family.

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Politics and human rights Crude humor and satire political, documentary, president, democracy or propaganda political, president, historical, politician or democracy comedy, funny, humor, hilarious or jokes funny, comedy, humor, jokes or hilarious comedy, funny, hilarious, humor or jokes Show All…

Popular reviews

"I'm smart and I have a gun" -Ike Barenholtz

2018 Ranked: boxd.it/1O9TO

Ike Barehnoltz did nothing wrong! Just kidding everyone is a little wrong in this, I just identify with his character the most.

In an America that in no way, shape, or form resembles America today, a power hungry President has declared that he wants all Americans to sign an Oath of allegiance to America. People will gain extra benefits for signing but are told they will face no penalty for not signing. All Americans must decide by the day after Thanksgiving. As the date approaches there are violent police actions taken against protestors, activists start to disappear, and a task force that will help people to sign the…
aside from a [spoilers] sorta-copout ending i thought this was p great on every level, bloody & mean & full of well-observed details that get it exactly right, almost (not quite) in that zone of class-conscious 00s horror like murder party or cheap thrills. in partic, tiffany haddish is doing some smart, subtle work with a kinda nothing-y role that i bet everybody will recognize when she gets cast in a p.t.a. flick the next 2 or 3 years. lol u just know this dude ike barinholtz ("javier bardem lookalike" in DISASTER MOVIE) saw his fellow madtv alum jordan peele get rich off socio-political horror & decided he'd make his own GET OUT about microaggressions against msnbc/huffpo-addicted white liberals but, no bullshit it actually kinda works! gimme more topical low-budget horror from madtv vets... artie lange kratom slasher.... debra wilson direct my screenplay where diamond & silk fight their way out the adrenochrome sacrifice pit at bohemian grove....
I don't love this movie but I would love it if Ike and Tiffany and John and Billy were in way more other movies.
Roadside Attractions. Cinema
2.35:5
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15

The directorial debut of Ike Barinholtz is a pleasant albeit overly farcical surprise. Specifically for the unexpected and restraint performance of Tiffany Haddish who strips back all stereotype and puts forth a decent turn in a comedic but undoubtedly layered role. Speaking of politics you can catch my first feature on Film Inquiry that just dropped in which I discuss the effects of politics in Harry Potter and The Hunger Games franchises.

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FULL REVIEW AT NERDLY UK
Far from perfect but still an immensley creative and enjoyable film from one of my favorite comedic voices in the industry and starring several of my favorite voices in the entertainment industry as a whole. This is BY FAR my favorite Tiffany Haddish performance yet, it's something fresh and tender unlike anything we've really seen from her.

The commentary is ham-fisted yet still suitably complex. The writing is an inconsistent mixture of George Orwell and....Rob Reiner, I guess. Barniholtz does show some really strong promise as a filmmaker though. His compositions and utilization of space are good and his timing is impeccable.

This will unfortunately go overlooked for the year but I strongly recommend going and checking this out for a good time. Inspired comedic voices like Barniholtz, Haddish, and Cho can use all of our support.
I really enjoy Ike Barinholtz. He is a pretty funny dude and with this film he proves he can direct a good film. The problem is that the good film is the first half, and then he also shows he is capable of directing a pretty bad film with the second half. However overall I still look fondly on The Oath.

The first half of the film has a lot to say about society, white privilege, police brutality, and being forced to spend time with bigots. It also executes these ideas with a great deal of comedy, and I legitimately loved the chemistry that Ike and Tiffany Haddish had. The film is worth it solely for the first half.

The…
5/10

Started off pretty interesting and having heard nothing about it prior didn't know what to expect. I thought that some crazy stuff might happen, but it turned into one of those accidental kidnapping movies and couldn't seem to decide to be funny or serious. Just didn't work for me. I didn't hate, but I felt very "eh" about it.
After seeing both this and The Skeleton Twins, I'm convinced that all "conventionally comedic" actors should switch the complete heck over to dramas.

Wonderful performances by Barinholtz and Haddish, and just a fun and quick witted time in general.

Although it perhaps hits a little too close to home, you know, in these times.
The Oath sees Ike Barinholtz jumping into the director's chair with an absurdist political satire and succeeding with flying colors, managing to pump out what's not just a very well-crafted debut that offers a lot in terms of hilarious humor, sharp dialogue, and strong commentary that's angry but in a way that's necessary and feels justified, but also an actual good showcase for Tiffany Haddish's comedic gifts.
really liked the first half but during the second half i couldn't dig it and ended up making tik toks & rapping "bitch i got your ma-a-an" to myself so
@TiffanyHaddish @AcademyAwards you two should collab!!! 😁😁😁
"Chris Rock's not racist, he's best friends with Adam Sandler."

"You know I'm a feminist...I waited in line for two hours so Roxanne Gay could sign her book for you."

Barinholtz has an impressive sense of timing and space as a first-time director (the wide angles becoming increasingly claustrophobic as the tension steadily snowballs) and as a physical performer (he wields his size around his much shorter co-stars in wonderfully blocked ways....shout out to MadTV!).

This was much better than I expected, and it mostly avoids the "well actually both sides need to reach across the aisle if you really think about it!" equivocating that plagues so much Trump era satire. It manages to get our current state of ideological affairs right: yes, both sides *are* bad...but one side is *far* worse. In summation: liberals are idiots, conservatives are fascists, John Cho is staggeringly handsome, and Billy Magnussen is our funniest and most frightening menace.

Very funny and very infuriating.