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Mark, Mary + Some Other People

5/10

Stars: Hayley Law, Ben Rosenfield, Sofia Bryant, Kelly Berglund, Nik Dodani, Matt Shively, Lea Thompson

Director: Hannah Marks

Mixed-race Mary and white Wasp Mark meet cute in a shop and in no time are a couple, getting married a year later. But Mary's sister stirs up trouble by talking about 'ethical non-monogamous' marriage.

Mary and Mark decide to try it out and become part of a swinging scene of drugs, one-niters and threesomes that seems curiously dated, as if it had been transported from 'Swinging Sixties' London to present-day New York. Eventually Mary wants out, but the initially reluctant Mark is enjoying himself too much.

This sort-of romcom starts in sparkling fashion, but quickly becomes tiresome, thanks mainly to an uninspired script from director Marks. The stars have nice chemistry together, though, with Law especially personable and capable of drawing a tear in the film's sadder moments.

Film buffs should watch out for the actress playing Auntie Carol. It's Lea Thompson - remember her as the youthful star of SpaceCamp and the Back to the Future films in the 1980s? She's stayed largely under the radar since then but, at 60, has now racked up more than 100 screen credits.

David Quinlan

USA 2021. UK Distributor: Vertical Entertainment. Colour (unspecified).
89 minutes. Widescreen. UK certificate: 15.

Guidance ratings (out of 3): Sex/nudity 2, Violence/Horror 0, Drugs 2, Swearing 3.

Review date: 03 Nov 2021