For years, Chelsea Peretti has been the comedian’s comedian. While she has received lots of praise from both other actors and critics. The general public hadn’t really heard of her until she started to play Gina Linetti in the smash-hit sitcom Brooklyn 99. But now that has come to an end, many people are checking out Peretti’s impressive back catalog.Â
According to figures released by FlixPatrol, Spinster, a 2019 movie starring Peretti, is currently the 10th most popular film on HBO, an impressive feat considering how overlooked it was at the time of release.
Spinster is a Canadian made film directed by Andrea Dorfman and written by Jennifer Deyell. It sees Peretti take on the role of Gaby, a happy and outgoing 39-year-old caterer from Halifax in Nova Scotia. However, Gabby’s world is turned upside down when she comes home to find her boyfriend moving out. Her boyfriend tells her that their entire relationship was a sham and that he wasn’t ever really attracted to Gabby and can’t keep the charade up any longer.
Now single, Gaby starts to worry as she has never married or had children. What follows is a voyage of self-discovery. Gaby goes back into the dating scene and considers what she wants out of life. Along the way, she talks to friends old and new. And these friends help her think about her needs as both a person and a partner.
The film was described as an “anti-romantic comedy” by Alex Rose from Cult MTL, and this is the best way to describe the film. Spinster takes common romantic comedy tropes and twists them to talk about the joys and pains of being single and the changing nature of dating and relationships in modern society. The film was released at the 2019 Whistler Film Festival and then had a general release in 2020.
The film got good reviews from both critics and those who saw it, currently holding an 82% critics score and a 73% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. Many reviewers praised the film’s depth and drew attention to Chelsea Peretti’s performance. She presents Gaby as a three-dimensional character who is funny and relatable. But she also feels like an actual person. A rarity in the genre. Reviewers also praised the film’s comedy and general story. Pointing out that while it is often bittersweet, it is still hopeful. Its authentic message about finding your truth means that the film doesn’t become a depressing slog like so many other attempts at this style of movie.
Until Brooklyn 99, Chelsea Peretti has always been overlooked. Despite being a talented comedian and actor, she has never received the attention or praise she deserves. Hopefully, now that Brooklyn 99 has ended, more people will dive into her back catalog, and movies like Spinster can get the attention and praise they deserve.Â
