Ingrid Goes West (**)

Scroll. Double-tap to like. Repeat. So goes the life of those obsessed with Instagram, the photo-sharing app that serves as a catalyst in INGRID GOES WEST, a weird, oftentimes squirm-inducing trip down obsession and self-implosion. First we had The Emoji Movie and it's "attempt" to break down the inner workings of a cell phone. Here we have something at least slightly more interesting: the breakdown of a troubled mind with infinite information available at their fingertips.

Aubrey Plaza is our "heroine" here, who is having a stellar year with this and her earlier (and funnier) performance in The Little Hours. We have known her to be a uniquely weird actress, with staring eyes and a sullen voice that sets her apart from the other comedians of her time. This is a step in a more daring direction, and dare I say Miss Plaza has some acting chops as well. Here she is Ingrid, a woman who spent time in a rehab facility after a mental breakdown following the death of her mother. Ingrid is obsessed with, well, let's just say she has her obsessions. She was previously admitted on stalking charges, and now that she's released, she sets her sights on an up and coming blogger, Taylor Sloane (Elizabeth Olsen). Ingrid has her inheritance money and little else to do. Time for her to head west.

The movie follows a fairly predictable series of odd and worrisome scenarios in which Ingrid learns about Taylor from her Instagram, eats the same foods, gets the same haircut, and ultimately kidnaps her dog in an effort to call her to collect a reward. She does a bit more than that. The two become friends, although Taylor is certain she has seen Ingrid before (she has). Despite clear warnings, Taylor invites Ingrid out, they have dinner, they travel to a remote desert home to drink and confide in each other. Ingrid feels this is some sort of fated encounter, although we know this is all part of her plan that has no clear goal other than to "become a popular girl."

I was reminded a bit of The Bling Ring in the way we learn about "high society" through the lens of an outsider. The fashion, the picturesque homes, the expensive coffees, and the luxurious poolside parties. Ingrid tries her best to fit in, but it's so clear that she does not. The movie bounces from oftentimes comical scenarios and then back to brooding moments of shocking intensity from Plaza. I would have assumed this to be a comedy, but it flirts with something much darker.

The movie is perhaps a bit too pointed in its satire to really hit me, and is it just me or do movies that use iPhones so loosely as plot devices feel a bit contrived? Not only do we never see Ingrid charge her phone, but the familiar clicks, dings, and texting sounds makes this movie almost a bit too specific for the message it ultimately seeks to address. When Ingrid is plotting her next move to stalk Taylor, I was sitting in the audience wondering how she managed to charge her once-dead phone after being plugged in no more than 1 minute. The performance of Plaza is certainly a career-best, and a surprisingly-annoying-yet-effective performance by Billy Magnussen as Taylor's douchey brother both are highlights for their own reasons. The movie itself is a downer. No characters (and I mean NO characters) are likable, and the story is familiar to the point of cliches. We all know how this ends, so save yourself the price of a ticket and wait for rental.