Céline Roustan
One of the most annoying things about life as an adult has got to be finding – and in some cases keeping – a job. Thankfully for Siobhan, she has an amazing best friend, who covers her share of the rent and scores her an interview with his boss. All she has to do is give him a call to set it up. Easy, right? But when he doesn’t pick up and the call goes to voicemail, all hell breaks loose! With his directorial debut ILY, BYE, Taylor James meticulously crafts a sharp and fast-paced comedy that is just as chaotic as it is hilarious.
While the film spirals into a perfect illustration of the word unhinged, its strength actually relies on the fact that it is deeply relatable, as it is grounded in universal experiences. From the anxiety and desperation caused by looking for a job to doing something weird/awkward in a social situation – that we instantly regret and then obsess over – this relatability makes Siobhan an instantly likable character, someone that the audience wants to root for.
“I love making people laugh” – director Tyler James on his aims for the film
With a striking aesthetic, the visuals of the film work to effectively immerse us in its universe. Ves Phillippi’s (Huella) impressive production design mirrors the protagonist’s relationship with her own surroundings. Siobhan’s messy room, with its bold colors, reflects her personality and contrasts sharply with the tidy, sterile office with its muted tones, where she stands out. Even in Mr. Litchefield’s office, the chaos is enhanced visually when she spills the colorful jelly beans.
As the film unfolds, the anxiety and absurdity of the situation escalates, with the situation becoming more and more chaotic as Siobhan’s attempts to fix things only make them worse. The comedy of the film is all the more poignant in how that chaos comes across visually. DP Doug Porter (Call Your Father) starts the film with a rather steady image, but the style changes, going handheld, after that fateful phone call. Perfectly complemented by Jake Schwartz’s edit, together they create a rhythm that echoes Siobhan’s state of mind, throwing the audience into the chaotic mess that Siobhan can’t seem to get herself out of.
“I wanted to write a film that would give the audience 13 minutes of escape as well as a character that they could both cringe at and root for.”
“I wanted to explore what could happen if someone were to go to absurd lengths to right an innocuous wrong”, explains writer/director Taylor James. Ultimately, the true antagonist of the film is Siobhan’s anxiety and how it prompts her to say or do certain things. James depicts this through the sheer absurdity of the situations she throws herself into. Adding that he wanted to write a character that his audience “could both cringe at and root for”. Facing the fallout from Siobhan’s anxiety-driven decisions are Siobhan herself and her loyal best friend Gary, portrayed by Megan Stalter and Kanoa Goo.
Stalter, no stranger to this kind of role, delivers a powerhouse performance exceeding all expectations. She makes James’ character her own, keeping her performance on the same level throughout the runtime of the film, which grounds the film’s absurdity in authenticity. She’s also consistently hilarious, right up until her very last line, which concludes the film both narratively and emotionally. Opposite such a strong character and performance, Goo impressively embodies the bridge between Siobhan and “adult life” – responsibilities, work, maturity – while still being a good supportive friend to her. Their chemistry makes their friendship such a lovely and pleasant aspect of the film.
Ahead of its online premiere today, ILY,Bye had its World Premiere at the 2024 Sonoma International Film Festival where it won the Grand Jury Prize. It went on to play at multiple festivals including Inside Out, the Palm Springs ShortFest, Frameline and NewFest.