Greener Grass is the absurdist feature debut from writer/director duo Jocelyn DeBoer and Dawn Luebbe. They star as suburban soccer moms Jill (DeBoer) and Lisa (Luebbe) whose materialistic lives revolve around endless competition. If preparing the perfect hors d’oeuvres wasn’t stressful enough, there is a killer on the loose and Jill may be the next target!

A surreal satire of suburban life in which everything is interchangeable, be that houses, husbands or babies. Equal parts hilarious and nightmarish, Greener Grass is a unique vision birthed from a love of John Waters. The garish design and saturated colour pallet are sickly and uncomfortable, blurring the line between a utopia and something much more sinister. The opening titles, a quivering lipsticked smile, try desperately to affirm that everything is ok. Similarities have been drawn to Wes Anderson’s deadpan humour and David Lynch’s strange, dreamy atmosphere, yet Greener Grass is truly its own beast.

Despite its limited distribution, this bizarre comedy has gained a fervent fanbase, spearheaded by Letterboxd celebrity Karsten Runquist: “[Greener Grass] is not only the funniest movie but the only funny movie”. Come for the gags and quotable lines (“you’re a school!”), stay for the queasy feeling of life slipping through your fingers.

F-Rated: Written and directed by Jocelyn DeBoer and Dawn Luebbe

Director Jocelyn DeBoer, Dawn Luebbe
Year 2019
Duration 1h 35m
Language English
Cast Jocelyn DeBoer, Dawn Luebbe, Beck Benne