Millie Davies (Ana Scotney) wants to be “a world-class architect.” She earns a scholarship to intern in New York City at one of the best architecture firms in the world. She wants to represent New Zealand on a global level and document her adventures on Instagram. Then something terrible happens: Millie has a panic attack prior to takeoff and must deplane her flight to NYC.
Unfortunately, panic attacks are not covered as a medical emergency and a new plane ticket costs roughly two grand. In Michelle Savill’s Millie Lies Low, everything that could go wrong for Millie hilariously does. Millie’s misfortunes will have audiences groaning “oh no” through smiles. Millie Lies Low belongs in movie collections alongside recent New Zealand comedies such as The Breaker Upperers and Housebound.
Millie attempts to scrape together the money for her flight, while lying to friends and family that she’s arrived in the Big Apple, using photoshopped social media posts to sell the lie. She has a competitive relationship with her friend Carolyn (Jillian Nguyen). People even comment that Millie’s work is derivative of Carolyn’s. (“Maybe it’s the zeitgeist,” Millie counters.) Carolyn poetically describes experiencing inspiration at the Guggenheim Museum in New York City, but she concedes that Millie worked hard and deserves the spot at the New York internship.
Their classmates comfort Carolyn, insisting Millie is a copycat. (If Millie didn’t have imposter syndrome before overhearing that conversation, she does after.) We learn the classmates have fair cause to deride Millie, as because she later hijacks Carolyn’s Guggenheim story and tells it as her own. Millie claims her copying is not intentional plagiarism, but rather a case of artistic “osmosis.” But Carolyn struggles with her own insecurities and isn’t as perfect as she seems.
Ana Scotney delivers punchlines without saying a word. She communicates Millie’s thoughts and earns big laughs with just one look. Millie’s realistic yet pathetic selfie session exemplifies – with just a few fake smiles and the fallen expressions in between - the dissonance between the life Millie wants people to think she’s living and her actual, less-than-glamorous reality and fraught emotional state. As the audience learns more about Millie, we start to doubt in her ability to make New York happen. Or if she even should! While Millie lies low and uses social media to sell the lie that she made it to America, she reaches new lows before things start to look up.
Actor Rachel House (Thor: Ragnarok, Hunt for the Wilderpeople) lends her star power to the picture as Millie’s mom, Marlene. Their realistic mother-daughter relationship adds an extra layer to Millie Lies Low, giving the story some warmth. Through their dialogue, we learn about their shared history as Māori immigrants in the Philippines, before moving back to New Zealand because of bullies targeting a young, out-of-place Millie. “I’m sorry I’m such a disappointment, Mom,” Millie laments. “We can’t all be -appointments,” she semi-comforts Millie.
It’s not often we see movies about competitive architecture students, if ever. Especially not with a flawed but endlessly funny antihero like Millie. It’s also not often that the soundtrack of a film mimics the clacking of bamboo Tinikling poles, but Millie Lies Low uses the sound of a Filipino tradition from Millie’s childhood to express her anxiety as her situation grows more critical. And that choral rendition of Miley Cyrus’ “We Can’t Stop”? An absolute joy. A unique entry into the cringe comedy subgenre, Millie Lies Low bursts with unexpected but delightful moments. Media libraries that feature indie comedies or New Zealand cinema will want to include Millie Lies Low, a gripping comedy, in their film collections.
What kind of film series would Millie Lies Low fit in?
Millie Lies Low could easily fit into a variety of film series. It would suit a series of movies of social media deceptions, like Ingrid Goes West and Not Okay or the “quasi-documentary” Catfish. It could also be included in a showcase of New Zealand comedies, including several films that cast members from Millie Lies Low appear in, like The Breaker Upperers or Hunt for the Wilderpeople.
What kind of film collection would Millie Lies Low be suitable for?
Millie Lies Low would be suitable for many film collections, as it fits into comedy, independent, and international categories. But the film is a must for film collections that showcase New Zealand cinema, especially the recent boom of successful comedies from New Zealand.
How would audiences react to this screening?
Audiences will laugh and cringe with Millie Lies Low, feeling equal parts anxious and entertained. Michelle Savill’s film will have audiences squirming and laughing.