What I liked
The jokes! The script was delightful, ramming in self deprecating barbs and topical humor while never letting the air out of the gravity. The acting was wonderful, fully able to handle both the depth and the pace of the script. In particular, Savannah Gilmore and Nick Justice stole the show as the inner neuroses of the main character. Mr. Justice is hilarious as the personification of depression and Ms. Gilmore blows everyone off the stage with an instant classic rendition as a manifestation of his anxiety disorder – posing as a fictitious crazy girlfriend. She deftly handles the elaborate melodrama and the rom-com, while never losing her wink to the audience that cuts through any cliche. It’s amazing that such a complex work was able to arrive so fully formed.
What I didn't like
The pace was a little rushed at the beginning – the lines are so funny and so fast that sometimes it was hard to unpack them. I saw the preview show which can usually be a HFF show’s first time with an audience.
My overall impression
A meet-cute with a waitress quickly descends into a surrealistic suicide plot, as main character Alex projects all his intimate anxieties into one terrifyingly hilarious relationship. Unrealistic Expectations is a smart, subversive comedy about mental illness and young romance. An in-depth study on depression and suicide shouldn’t be this funny. The audience can get ready to have their high expectations met with flying colors!
