I HEART Lizzie » Ingrid Goes West

Ingrid Goes West

Original Release: August 11, 2017
Genre: Comedy | Drama
Running time: 97 minutes
Directed by: Matt Spicer
Written by: David Branson Smith, Matt Spicer
Produced by: Jared Ian Goldman, Aubrey Plaza, Tim White, Trevor White, Adam Mirels, Robert Mirels
Distributed by: Neon
Box Office: $3.3 million

Ingrid Thorburn is an unhinged social media stalker with a history of confusing “likes” for meaningful relationships. Taylor Sloane is an Instagram-famous “influencer” whose perfectly curated, boho-chic lifestyle becomes Ingrid’s latest obsession. When Ingrid moves to LA and manages to insinuate herself into the social media star’s life, their relationship quickly goes from #BFF to #WTF.

Cast & Characters

Aubrey Plaza (Ingrid Thorburn), Elizabeth Olsen (Taylor Sloane), O’Shea Jackson Jr. (Dan Pinto), Wyatt Russell (Ezra O’Keefe), Billy Magnussen (Nicky Sloane), Pom Klementieff (Harley Chung), Hannah Utt (Nicole), Joseph Breen (Garth Lafayette), Angelica Amor (Cindy), Meredith Kathleen Hagner (Charlotte Buckwald), Charlie Wright (Chuck), Dennis Atlas (Buck).

Production Photos

Production Notes

Principal photography began on July 11, 2016 in Los Angeles and wrapped August 12, 2016 in Joshua Tree, California. A focal point of the film is “All My Life” by K-Ci & JoJo; initially this song was meant to be Seal’s “Kiss from a Rose” (which would have tied into the Dan character’s Batman obsession, as it’s from the Batman Forever soundtrack), but Seal’s asking price for the song was higher than the production could afford. Spicer’s sister recommended “All My Life” as a replacement.

Trivia

The production was delayed by some setbacks when director Matt Spicer accidentally walked through a sliding glass door after yelling “cut” and gaffers had to remove fragments of glass from his arm with duct tape. At one point the production had to evacuate their location due to the raging Santa Clarita brush fires in L.A. county.

The short film “Hi Stranger (2016)” was attached to this film in the United States/Canada by distributor Neon.

Pappy and Harriet’s, the bar that Ingrid and Taylor visit while staying in Joshua Tree, was a principal location for Howling: New Moon Rising (1995).

Release & Reception

Ingrid Goes West had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 20, 2017. Shortly after, Neon acquired the North American distribution rights to the film. It was released on August 11, 2017.

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 86% based on 185 reviews, with an average rating of 7.13/10. The website’s critical consensus reads, “Led by strong performances from Aubrey Plaza and Elizabeth Olsen, Ingrid Goes West delivers smart, topical humor underlined by timely social observations.” On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 71 out of 100, based on 39 critics, indicating “generally favorable reviews”.