"SERIOUSLY RED" // SXSW 2022

BY MATEO MORENO

The love of Dolly Parton and the notion of, "We need more Dollys in this world" is the heartbeat of the warm and winning Australian comedy SERIOUSLY RED. Krew Boylan plays Raylene 'Red' Delaney, a huge Dolly fan that works for a real estate agency with her dear friend Francis (Thomas Campbell). She has a soul that's aching to find something new and when she misinterprets her office party invite that says, "Dress up," she finds her moment. Showing up as Dolly Parton, she draws scoffs from her co-workers. That is, until she kills it on stage, performing a fantastic cover of "9 to 5." She catches the eye of the host (Rose Byrne, doing a fun take on Elvis) and from there starts a freewheeling spin into the world of celebrity impersonators.

The main guy in charge is Wilson (Bobby Cannavale), who was a Kenny Rogers impersonator in his younger years. He's blown away by Raylene and puts her together with a "method acting" Kenny Rogers impersonator named Kenny (Daniel Webber). She loves the life and falls quickly under its spell, especially around Kenny, who pretends to be Kenny Rogers in every moment, even at home. So she does the same, soon recognizing herself as Dolly, not Raylene. Krew Boylan (who also wrote the script) gives a star making performance and grabs the audience from moment one, never letting go. Premiering at SXSW, with the music fest right next to it, is a smart move and this music filled romantic comedy is earnest and sweet, which will draw in both the super fans and those who simply want an unexpected journey. Raylene's journey itself isn't necessarily surprising, but all of the strange (and I mean that in the best of ways) twists and turns make this a film that will likely be a cult-classic in years to come.

GRADE: B+

WRITTEN BY Krew Boylan DIRECTED BY Gracie Otto STARRING Krew Boylan, Rose Byrne, Bobby Cannavale, Daniel Webber, Celeste Barber, Thomas Campbell. SELECTED AS PART OF THE 2022 SXSW FILM FESTIVAL. FOR MORE INFO: SERIOUSLY RED