Cooper Raiff has blossomed into a virtuosic writer/director. The multi-hyphenate’s debut film Shithouse was one of my favorite movies of 2020 and his newest offering, Cha Cha Real Smooth, is an earnest exploration of post-college aimlessness. Starring Dakota Johnson, Vanessa Burghardt, Evan Assante, Leslie Mann, Brad Garrett, Raúl Castillo, and the aforementioned Raiff, the film follows Andrew (Raiff), a Bar Mitzvah party host who strikes up a friendship with a mother and her autistic daughter. An effervescent blend of sophisticated humor and sincerity, Cha Cha Real Smooth adds an undefinable zest to the shopworn coming-of-age genre.
Photo: Apple TV+
