★★½ (Two and a half stars: A glorious disaster that fails spectacularly on purpose. Maybe.)

Your next flight delay could always be worse. You could be these people.

Here’s what most critics missed: The Layover is a deconstruction of the rom-com, not a failed attempt at one. Macy, famous for his morally bankrupt Shameless character, directs this like a horror film. The lighting is flat and ugly. The "romantic lead" is a vacant slab of beef with zero personality. And the two leads? They aren't plucky heroines; they're monsters.

The Layover is not a good movie. It’s often cringe-inducing, tonally confused, and populated by characters who seem to have wandered in from a much darker, more cynical film. And yet… I kind of admired its nihilistic guts.

Let’s be honest: when you hear “William H. Macy directs a comedy about two best friends fighting over a guy during a flight delay,” you expect a certain indie-quirky sweetness. You expect Bridesmaids -lite. You get exactly none of that.

The | Layover

★★½ (Two and a half stars: A glorious disaster that fails spectacularly on purpose. Maybe.)

Your next flight delay could always be worse. You could be these people. The Layover

Here’s what most critics missed: The Layover is a deconstruction of the rom-com, not a failed attempt at one. Macy, famous for his morally bankrupt Shameless character, directs this like a horror film. The lighting is flat and ugly. The "romantic lead" is a vacant slab of beef with zero personality. And the two leads? They aren't plucky heroines; they're monsters. ★★½ (Two and a half stars: A glorious

The Layover is not a good movie. It’s often cringe-inducing, tonally confused, and populated by characters who seem to have wandered in from a much darker, more cynical film. And yet… I kind of admired its nihilistic guts. Here’s what most critics missed: The Layover is

Let’s be honest: when you hear “William H. Macy directs a comedy about two best friends fighting over a guy during a flight delay,” you expect a certain indie-quirky sweetness. You expect Bridesmaids -lite. You get exactly none of that.