Quartile rating: 6.5/10 · 1 rating
Dispatched from his basement room on an errand for his mother, slacker Jeff might discover his destiny (finally) when he spends the day with his brother as he tracks his possibly adulterous wife.
Jeff, Who Lives at Home is a modest but earnest mumblecore-adjacent dramedy from the Duplass brothers. The plot is thin and episodic — a meandering single-day structure — but it builds to a surprisingly affecting emotional payoff anchored by themes of fate and connection. The acting is a genuine standout: Jason Segel, Ed Helms, and Susan Sarandon all deliver naturalistic, lived-in performances that elevate the material considerably. Cinematography leans on handheld, shaky-cam aesthetics typical of the Duplass style — functional but unremarkable. Novelty is moderate; the film has a distinct low-key voice and a charming sincerity, though the slacker-finds-meaning premise isn't especially fresh. The ending works emotionally and ties threads together with some grace, though it borders on too neat given the film's otherwise loose structure.