I Laughed. I Cringed. I Might've Grown Up a Little.
There's a moment in the trailer for The Threesome—somewhere between the tequila and the moral reckoning—where Zoey Deutch's character, Olivia, shoots out this line:
“I'm not doing this if there's a side-piece baby momma. Absolutely not.”
It lands with such sharp, almost-too-real clarity that I paused. Not for reflection, exactly… more like a delayed wince. Because Hartigan's latest, premiering September 5th via Vertical after a buzzy run through SXSW 2025, isn't just selling sex jokes and chaos. It's selling consequences. And somehow—miraculously—it's funny anyway.
From Fantasy to Fallout
Directed by Chad Hartigan (Morris from America, Little Fish), The Threesome kicks off like your typical modern-day fever dream. Connor (Jonah Hauer-King) is your average hopeless romantic—except, you know, it's 2025, and everything is laced with irony. When the woman he's spent years quietly crushing on—Zoey Deutch's delightfully unpredictable Olivia—suddenly steers him into a spontaneous three-way with Ruby Cruz's soft-eyed Jenny, it feels like a beer-commercial version of a dream come true.
Until… life slaps them with Act 2. And boy, does it slap hard.
Because, surprise—it wasn't a dream. And people, as it turns out, are not disposable props in your “emotional growth journey.” Jenny comes back. Feelings get messy. Love gets bruised. And adulthood? That beast just walks in, uninvited, chewing bubblegum and demanding accountability.
Hartigan's Sweet Spot: Sincere, Slightly Shabby Chaos
Look, I've had my eye on Chad Hartigan since This Is Martin Bonner. The guy has a knack for catching people in that strange, aching middle—where desire meets delusion and the fallout is never tidy. This time, though, he dials up the absurdity without losing the ache.
What's refreshing here is that The Threesome doesn't treat its core premise as a punchline. The trailer might make you think this is just another millennial sex comedy—clunky setups, manic banter, everyone learning a Very Valuable Lesson in under two hours. But under the neon lighting and casual hookups, there's real emotional residue.
Also, quick sidebar: this might be the best Zoey Deutch's ever been. She's electric—balancing charisma with the kind of impulsive volatility that makes you want to both kiss her and run screaming. And Ruby Cruz? Total revelation. Quiet, wounded, honest. The kind of third wheel who turns out to be the engine.
Trailer: More Than Just Jokes
The jokes? Legit hilarious. There's one involving a misused massage chair that made me choke on my coffee. But what lingers is the mood—this humid, anxiety-drenched air that follows the characters even in their lightest moments. Because what starts as kink quickly unspools into connection, confusion, and consequence.
It's adulting, basically. The unsponsored version.
Watch the trailer here, and tell me I'm wrong. Go ahead. I dare you.
Who's In This Thing Anyway?
We've got a tight central trio—Deutch, Hauer-King, Cruz—all throwing punches (emotional ones, mostly) and stumbling through one of the messiest love triangles in recent memory. Supporting players include the always-watchable Jaboukie Young-White, Josh Segarra, Arden Myrin, and the reliably deadpan Robert Longstreet.
But don't let the “ensemble” tag fool you. This story lives and dies in the sweat-soaked glances between the core three. Their chemistry is uncomfortable, flawed, and precisely what makes this story feel real.
Final Thoughts — Or Whatever This Is
I don't usually walk into sex comedies expecting… nuance. Or actual growth. Or adult feelings delivered in a broken wineglass of regret. But The Threesome—at least judging by this trailer—might just be one of those rare genre pieces that sneaks past your defenses while you're laughing.
I mean, maybe it all falls apart in the third act. Maybe it gets preachy. Maybe Connor ends up writing poetry on TikTok and we all suffer.
But today? Today I'm hopeful.
September 5th, 2025. Select US theaters. I'll be there. Probably uncomfortable. Definitely curious.
You?
