Reunion (2024 film)

Last updated
Reunion
Reunion 2024 poster.jpg
Promotional poster
Directed byChris Nelson
Written byJake Emanuel
Willie Block
Produced by Todd Garner
Ben Silverman
Peter Principato
Mark Korshak
Mickey Schiff
Lil Rel Howery
StarringLil Rel Howery
Billy Magnussen
Jillian Bell
Jamie Chung
Michael Hitchcock
Nina Dobrev
Chace Crawford
CinematographyDino Parks
Edited byRick Grayson
Music byFil Eisler
Production
companies
Spyglass Media Group
Artists Road
Unique Features
Distributed by Republic Pictures
Lionsgate
Release dates
  • April 13, 2024 (2024-04-13)(Brazil)
  • June 28, 2024 (2024-06-28)(United States)
Running time
90 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Reunion is a 2024 American comedy mystery film directed by Chris Nelson and starring Lil Rel Howery, Billy Magnussen, Jillian Bell, Jamie Chung, Michael Hitchcock, Nina Dobrev, and Chace Crawford. The film is set during the aftermath of a twenty-year high school reunion, when an obnoxious popular student is murdered and his former classmates are left to figure out who among them is responsible.

Contents

Plot

The film takes place on the night of, and aftermath of, the twenty-year reunion of the Ridgeview High School class of 2001. The party is being hosted at the home of successful hedge fund manager Mathew Danbury, and the attendees include local police officer Evan West, his best friend Ray Hammond, journalist Jasmine Park, weirdo Vivian Chase, aspiring Congresswoman Amanda Tanner, former popular girl Meagan Cooper, and their former teacher, Mr. Theodore Buckley.

During the reunion, Evan and Jasmine start to form a romantic connection, while Ray keeps making advances on an unreceptive Meagan until the pair have a loud argument. Mathew claims to be happily married but flirts with many of the women at the party, including Meagan. Later, Mathew becomes the mascot of their high school football team and dances with everyone. Vivian interrupts the festivities to make a speech about how Mathew tormented her during high school. A severe snowstorm forces most of the attendees to leave the party early, but Evan, Ray, Jasmine, Vivian, Amanda, and Mr. Buckley are all too drunk to drive and elect to stay at Mathew's house.

In the morning, Jasmine discovers Mathew's dead body in his bedroom, shot once in the chest. The phone lines are down from the storm, preventing the group from phoning for help, and there's no evidence that anyone has left the house since the snowstorm ended. Jasmine and Amanda both discover late-night sexts from Mathew, from which Evan deduces that Mathew was killed after the snowstorm ended, suggesting that one of the people in the house is the killer. It quickly becomes apparent that everyone had a motive to kill Mathew dating back to their bad high school experiences.

Evan and Ray investigate the scene of the murder, noting the window that was open during the snowstorm and a bullet hole in the wardrobe door. Ray finds an earring in the wardrobe and chooses to hide it from Evan. Later, the group elects to search one another's pockets, and Evan discovers the earring, which Ray claims he found on the dance floor. In trios, they search the house for clues, and Amanda is discovered trying to hide a VHS tape from high school of her and Mathew poisoning another student. Amanda says that someone contacted her with knowledge of the tape and blackmailed her into shutting off the power at a certain time. The group makes plans to sleep in separate locked rooms for their own protection.

During the night, Jasmine sneaks into Mathew's office and accesses the records on his computer. While returning to her room, she is chased and knocked unconscious by someone wearing the high school mascot costume. The next morning, Jasmine tells the group that she came to the reunion to gain evidence of Mathew's hedge fund being engaged in illegal activities. The records contain evidence that Buckley had been defrauded of his life savings by Mathew. Vivian notices that one of their cars has an open trunk, and when Evan and Ray investigate, they find the dead body of Meagan. Footprints in the snow match Ray's boots, and the group remembers Ray and Meagan's argument during the party, leading them to conclude that Ray killed Meagan and Mathew out of jealousy.

The phone lines are restored, and Mathew's wife, Lisa, learns about her husband's death. She arrives with local police, and Ray is taken into custody, but Ray snatches a gun and forces everyone into the sitting room while he pieces together the crime. He concludes that Mathew was murdered by Lisa, who blackmailed Amanda into turning off the power to facilitate the crime, opened the bedroom window to confuse the forensic evidence, wore the mascot costume at the party so people wouldn't realize Mathew was already dead, and killed Meagan because she'd snuck into Mathew's bedroom and witnessed the crime. Furthermore, Ray reveals that Lisa's accomplice was Evan, her lover, who sent the sexts from Mathew's phone and disposed of Meagan's body in such a way that Ray would be implicated. The group finds Lisa and Evan's messages to each other on a mobile gaming app, proving their guilt and Ray's innocence.

As the police take Evan and Lisa into custody, Jasmine offers Ray a job as an investigator for her newspaper. Ray, Jasmine, Vivian, Amanda, and Buckley take an awkward photo together to commemorate the experience.

Cast

Production

In August 2021, it was announced that Howery, Magnussen, and Bell would be cast in the film, with filming set to occur in Los Angeles in the autumn. [1] Later that same month, it was announced that Dobrev, Chung, Hitchcock, and Crawford joined the cast, with production set to begin in Los Angeles the week the announcement was made. [2] [3] On September 16, 2021, it was announced that Doan joined the cast and that filming took place in Los Angeles. [4] On September 23, 2021, it was announced that Blair had joined the cast. [5] [4] [6]

In November 2021, it was announced that filming had wrapped. [7]

Release

The film was first released in Brazil on Paramount+ on April 13, 2024, and was released digitally in the United States on June 28, 2024. [8] [9]

Reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes , 40% of 5 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 5.2/10. [10] The movie was described as sharing the premise and echoing the casting of The Afterparty. [11] [12] [13] [14] [15]

Related Research Articles

<i>Romy and Micheles High School Reunion</i> 1997 American film by David Mirkin

Romy and Michele's High School Reunion is a 1997 American comedy film directed by David Mirkin and starring Mira Sorvino, Lisa Kudrow, and Janeane Garofalo. The plot revolves around two 28-year-old women who appear to have not achieved much success in life, and decide to invent fake careers to impress former classmates at their ten-year high school reunion. The characters are taken from the stage play Ladies Room, which also featured Kudrow.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ellen Barkin</span> American actress (born 1954)

Ellen Rona Barkin is an American actress. Her breakthrough role was in the 1982 film Diner, and in the following years, she had starring roles in films such as Tender Mercies (1983), Eddie and the Cruisers (1983), The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension (1984), The Big Easy (1986), Johnny Handsome, and Sea of Love.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chace Crawford</span> American actor (born 1986)

Christopher Chace Crawford is an American actor. He is known for his television portrayals of Nate Archibald on the series Gossip Girl (2007–2012), and of Kevin Moskowitz / The Deep in the television series The Boys (2019–present) and the resulting franchise. He is also known for starring in the films The Covenant (2006), The Haunting of Molly Hartley (2008), Twelve (2010), and What to Expect When You're Expecting (2012). In 2015, he portrayed Billy LeFever in the short-lived series Blood & Oil.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nina Dobrev</span> Canadian actress (born 1989)

Nikolina Kamenova Dobreva, known professionally as Nina Dobrev, is a Canadian actress. She is known for portraying Elena Gilbert and Katherine Pierce in the CW's supernatural drama series The Vampire Diaries (2009–2015).

<i>Lets Be Cops</i> 2014 American film

Let's Be Cops is a 2014 American buddy cop action comedy film co-written and directed by Luke Greenfield. The film stars Damon Wayans Jr. and Jake Johnson as two friends who pretend to be police officers in Los Angeles. The film co-starred Nina Dobrev, Rob Riggle, James D'Arcy, and Andy García. It was filmed on location in Atlanta, Georgia, and released on August 13, 2014. The film received negative reviews from critics. It was a box office success grossing $138.2 million worldwide against a production budget of $17 million.

<i>The Final Girls</i> 2015 American comedy horror film

The Final Girls is a 2015 American comedy slasher film directed by Todd Strauss-Schulson and written by M.A. Fortin and Joshua John Miller. The film stars Taissa Farmiga and Malin Åkerman, with supporting performances from Adam DeVine, Thomas Middleditch, Alia Shawkat, Alexander Ludwig, and Nina Dobrev. The plot follows a group of high school students who are transported into a 1986 slasher film called Camp Bloodbath.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nik Dodani</span> American actor and comedian (born 1993)

Nik Dodani is an American actor, writer, and comedian known for his roles as Zahid in the Netflix comedy-drama series Atypical, and Pat Patel in the revival of the popular CBS sitcom Murphy Brown.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marsai Martin</span> American actress (born 2004)

Caila Marsai Martin is an American actress and producer, best known for her role as Diane Johnson on the ABC sitcom Black-ish (2014–2022).

<i>All About Nina</i> 2018 comedy-drama film

All About Nina is a 2018 comedy-drama film, written and directed by Eva Vives, in her feature directorial debut. It stars Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Common, Chace Crawford, Jay Mohr, Kate del Castillo and Beau Bridges.

<i>Dog Days</i> (2018 film) 2018 American film

Dog Days is a 2018 American romantic comedy film directed by Ken Marino and written by Elissa Matsueda and Erica Oyama. It stars Eva Longoria, Nina Dobrev, Vanessa Hudgens, Lauren Lapkus, Thomas Lennon, Adam Pally, Ryan Hansen, Rob Corddry, Tone Bell, Jon Bass and Finn Wolfhard. The plot follows the intertwining lives of various dogs and their owners around Los Angeles.

<i>Brittany Runs a Marathon</i> 2019 film by Paul Downs Colaizzo

Brittany Runs a Marathon is a 2019 American comedy film written and directed by Paul Downs Colaizzo, in his directorial debut. It stars Jillian Bell, Michaela Watkins, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Lil Rel Howery, and Micah Stock. The film follows an overweight woman in New York City who sets out to lose weight and train for the city's annual marathon.

<i>The Photograph</i> (2020 film) 2020 film directed by Stella Meghie

The Photograph is a 2020 American romantic drama film written and directed by Stella Meghie. It follows the estranged daughter of a famous photographer who falls in love with the journalist who is investigating her late mother's life. Chelsea Peretti, Lil Rel Howery and Courtney B. Vance also star.

<i>Fatherhood</i> (film) 2021 film by Paul Weitz

Fatherhood is a 2021 American comedy-drama film directed by Paul Weitz from a screenplay by Weitz and Dana Stevens based on the 2011 memoir Two Kisses for Maddy: A Memoir of Loss and Love by Matthew Logelin. The film stars Kevin Hart, Alfre Woodard, Frankie R. Faison, Lil Rel Howery, DeWanda Wise, Anthony Carrigan, Melody Hurd, and Paul Reiser, and follows a new father who struggles to raise his daughter after the sudden death of his wife.

<i>Vacation Friends</i> 2021 American film

Vacation Friends is a 2021 American buddy comedy film directed by Clay Tarver, and co-written by Tom Mullen, Tim Mullen, Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley. The film stars John Cena, Lil Rel Howery, Yvonne Orji, Meredith Hagner, Robert Wisdom, Lynn Whitfield, and Andrew Bachelor.

<i>National Champions</i> (film) 2021 American film by Ric Roman Waugh

National Champions is a 2021 American sports drama film directed by Ric Roman Waugh, based on the play of the same name by Adam Mervis. The film stars Stephan James, J. K. Simmons, Alexander Ludwig, Lil Rel Howery, Tim Blake Nelson, Andrew Bachelor, Jeffrey Donovan, David Koechner, Kristin Chenoweth, Timothy Olyphant, and Uzo Aduba.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Kind filmography</span>

Richard Kind is an American actor, known for his roles as Dr. Mark Devanow in Mad About You, Paul Lassiter in Spin City (1996–2002), Andy in Curb Your Enthusiasm (2002–2021), and Arthur in A Serious Man (2009). Kind is also known for his voice performances in various Pixar films such as A Bug's Life (1998), the first two films of the Cars franchise (2006–2011), Toy Story 3 (2010), and Inside Out (2015). He was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play for his performance as Marcus Hoff in the 2013 Broadway production of The Big Knife.

<i>Harlem</i> (TV series) American comedy television series

Harlem is an American comedy television series created and executive produced by Tracy Oliver. It premiered on Amazon Prime Video on December 3, 2021. In February 2022, the series was renewed for a second season, which premiered on February 3, 2023. In December 2023, the series was renewed for a third season.

<i>The Out-Laws</i> (film) 2023 film by Tyler Spindel

The Out-Laws is a 2023 American action comedy film directed by Tyler Spindel, written by Evan Turner and Ben Zazove, produced by Adam Sandler, Adam DeVine, and Allen Covert, and stars DeVine, Nina Dobrev, Ellen Barkin, and Pierce Brosnan. The plot follows a bank manager on his wedding week whose bank is robbed by criminals that he very strongly suspects might be his future in-laws which gets proven right as he works with them when a crime boss that the criminals made enemies abducts his fiancé.

<i>If Not Now, When?</i> (film) Drama film by Tamara Bass

If Not Now, When? is an American drama film written by Tamara Bass and directed by Bass with Meagan Good. The film stars Meagan Holder, Mekia Cox, Tamara Bass and Meagan Good as four friends who forced back together when one of them suffers a crisis. Valarie Pettiford, Edwin Hodge, Lexi Underwood, Niles Fitch, Todd Williams, and McKinley Freeman round out the cast.

Karen Obilom is an American actress. She is known for portraying Nia Bullock in the BET television series Games People Play (2019-2021). She also appeared opposite Lil Rel Howery in the 2023 film The Mill (2023).

References

  1. ↑ Lang, Brent (August 4, 2021). "Lil Rel Howery, Billy Magnussen and Jillian Bell to Star in Ensemble Comedy 'Reunion' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved April 23, 2022.
  2. ↑ Lang, Brent (August 31, 2021). "Nina Dobrev, Jamie Chung, Michael Hitchcock and Chace Crawford Join Ensemble Comedy 'Reunion' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved May 30, 2022.
  3. ↑ Pell, Roxana (September 1, 2021). "Vampire Diaries Star Nina Dobrev Cast In Murder Mystery Movie Reunion". Screen Rant. Retrieved May 4, 2022.
  4. 1 2 Lang, Brent (September 16, 2021). "Dianne Doan Joins Mystery Comedy 'Reunion' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved May 4, 2022.
  5. ↑ Grobar, Matt (September 23, 2021). "Peter Greene, Joseph D'Onofrio & Myles Clohessy To Star In Indie 'Cross'; Cassandra Blair Joins Lil Rel Howery Comedy 'Reunion'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 23, 2022.
  6. ↑ Seddon, Dan (September 1, 2021). "The Boys and Vampire Diaries stars sign up for new comedy". Digital Spy. Retrieved May 4, 2022.
  7. ↑ Falco Raez, Constanza (November 8, 2021). "NINA DOBREV: DRAGON SLAYING". Flaunt. Retrieved May 30, 2022. Further breaking more rules and stereotypes, Dobrev describes her character in her latest wrapped movie, Reunion, as "very different than me. I have never played a character like this before, and it was both fun and very challenging."
  8. ↑ Sharpe, Josh (May 14, 2024). "Video: Watch Trailer for REUNION Starring Billy Magnussen". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved May 14, 2024.
  9. ↑ Gruenwedel, Erik (May 14, 2024). "Paramount Releasing Drama 'Reunion' on Digital Retail Platforms June 28". Media Play News. Retrieved May 14, 2024.
  10. ↑ "Reunion". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media . Retrieved June 29, 2024.
  11. ↑ "'Reunion' Review: A Tame Film About A Murderer Hiding Amongst Friends". Cinefied.com.
  12. ↑ "Film Review: Reunion". Josh at the Movies. June 26, 2024.
  13. ↑ Smith, Tessa (June 26, 2024). "Reunion Movie Review: A Hilarious Who Dunnit - Mama's Geeky".
  14. ↑ "Movie Review: 'Reunion'". Moviefone.
  15. ↑ "REVIEW: Reunion (2024 Film) Starring Billy Magnussen, Jillian Bell and Jamie Chung".
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.