[Note: In the wake of SXSW's cancellation this year,The Hollywood Reporteris reviewing select fest entries that elected to premiere digitally.] Shiva Babykicks off with an unpersuasive orgasm. "Yeah, Daddy," Danielle (Rachel Sennott) intones, the lack of conviction in her voice telegraphing the transactional nature of the coupling.
Indeed, the "daddy" here is of the "sugar" variety — a suavely scruffy 30-something (Danny Defarrari) named Max, whom the NYU student is sleeping with for cash in this impressive feature debut from Emma Seligman.
Expanded from a short film, Shiva Baby eschews warm 'n' fuzzy indie quirk for a squirmier, sweatier approach to a now-familiar subgenre: the comedy of discomfort featuring the kind of sex-positive Jewish.
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