I Used to be Funny

Ultimately, it did win me over on the strength of the lead performer, Rachel Sennott.

Rachel Sennott takes an impressive dramatic turn in this exploration of mental health and grief.

It’s really smart and lovely indie filmmaking that finds this delicate balance between the laughs and the big emotions, and using the laughs to cope with the big emotions

In her film debut, [Pankiw] delivers a full and fulfilling narrative arc that is anchored by a surprisingly complex performance from Sennott.

There’s the old cliché about loving a performer so much you’d watch them read the phone book. That’s put somewhat to the test in I Used to Be Funny, a low-energy, unoriginal, and poorly crafted film.

Rachel Sennott is—as always—worth watching, though watching her portraying someone struggling with depression can be . . . depressing.


Here amid snarky but lovable standup comics is a believable dynamic, a threesome of friends who care for each other and seem real.

The film is a magnificent vehicle to discover the dramatic profile of Sennott ... [who] dares here to take on one of those roles that make your face twist and demand empathy. [Full review in Spanish]

Rachel Sennott stretches her dramatic muscles with this tender, though rather upsetting, character study.

I Used to Be Funny is too grounded to head too far into genre territory, and that’s not a bad thing. Pankiw has a better, more intuitive command of the oft-tricky dramedy form than plenty of more experienced filmmakers.