The New Tenants 2009

6.2 / 10   26 vote(s)
Comedy Crime

A prying neighbor, a glassy-eyed drug dealer, and a husband brandishing both a weapon and a vendetta make up the welcome wagon. Set amidst the as-yet-unopened boxes and the hopes for a fresh start of two men on what might just be the worst moving day ever. Their new apartment reveals its terrifying history in a film that is by turns funny, frightening, and unexpectedly romantic.

Release Date 2009-12-30
Runtime 20m
Directors Joachim Back, Paweł Edelman, Kija Brooks, Joshua A. Friedman
Producers Sam Bisbee, Tivi Magnusson, Erika Hampson, Christian Potalivo, Johanne Stryhn Hørby, Jackie Kelman Bisbee, Lance Acord, Jean Villiers, Mette Ambro, Gigi Realini
Writers Anders Thomas Jensen, David Rakoff

"Peter" (Jamie Harrold) and "Frank" (David Rakoff) are having one of those love/hate conversations in their new apartment when an elderly neighbour arrives asking for some flour. They've barely unpacked, but "Peter" finds some in the apartment that belonged to the previous occupant - whom we learn came to a sticky end! Settling down to some of the deceased man's potato chips, another visitor descends on them. He's "Jan" (Vincent D'Onofrio) who reckons that someone has been having it away with his wife! Maybe he's not the most deductively astute man? Anyway, he stays for a fairly surreal chat before the arrival of their third visitor. "Zelko" (Kevin Corrigan) introduces an whole new level of comedy menace to the proceedings and by now, maybe the guys had wished they'd set up home in Folsom Prison! I didn't love the tightly photographed (eyes only) monologue at the start, but as this builds up an head of steam it turns into quite an amusing black comedy that's just a little suitably brutal at the end. It even teaches us how to make cinnamon buns, too!

CinemaSerf