By David R.

Director Daniel Robbins’ tour de force, Bad Shabbos begins with the end. Two elderly Jewish men stroll down a New York City street at night. One begins telling a joke. The punchline? A corpse plummets from a nearby building, landing in front of them. The film then rewinds to tell the story of the night preceding this event.

David and Meg, portrayed by Jon Bass and Meghan Leathers respectively, are an interfaith couple engaged to be married. Unfortunately, there are a few problems for the young lovers.

The first issue is Meg’s parents, conservative Catholics from Wisconsin, who—while never stating it outright—are clearly displeased with Meg’s conversion to Judaism. Another issue is David’s mother, whose passive-aggressive remarks toward Meg create tension in their relationship.

These concerns come to a head on the night of Shabbos—the weekly Jewish day of rest from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset. While Meg gives Judaism her best effort, David’s mother (played by Kyra Sedgwick) is slow to accept her. In spite of her better judgment, Meg invites her staunchly religious parents to Shabbos dinner.

Upon arriving at the apartment, the audience is introduced to David’s screw-up brother, Adam (Theo Taplitz). Taplitz’s performance is wickedly delightful. His character is sharply written, offering a thoughtful and provocative satire of toxic masculinity. Taplitz’s acting, combined with clever writing by Robbins and Zack Weiner, keeps the audience riveted whenever Adam appears.

Other notable characters include David’s sardonic sister Abby (Milana Vayntrub), Abby’s philandering boyfriend Benjamin (Ashley Zukerman), David’s eccentric father Richard (David Paymer), the charismatic doorman Jordan (played by rapper Cliff “Method Man” Smith Jr.), and Meg’s stiff parents (John Bedford Lloyd and Catherine Curtin). Every actor adds something memorable, with Lloyd and Curtin portraying unintentionally bigoted parents in a grounded yet hilarious way.

Early in the evening, Benjamin and Adam begin to clash. After enduring one too many sarcastic remarks, Adam slips laxatives into Benjamin’s drink—unaware that Benjamin has colitis. In a frantic attempt to reach the bathroom, Benjamin slips, fatally hitting his head. What follows is a hilarious scramble to hide the body, roping the entire family into an increasingly absurd cover-up.

My one complaint? The twist was a bit predictable. As soon as Benjamin was introduced, I suspected he was the corpse from the opening scene (no character that unlikable escapes punishment). Still, the execution was funny, and the moment remained an effective plot device.

Finally, what I appreciated most was the sincerity of the film. Many comedies that center on American subcultures tend to satirize or undermine the communities they depict. Bad Shabbos, however, is better described as a celebration of Jewish-American life. From the reprise of “Bum Biddy” from Adam Sandler’s Eight Crazy Nights to the heartfelt speech by David’s sister Abby, the film honors Jewish culture and finds humor in the most unlikely places.