Written and directed by Emmie Lichtenberg, when Remy accidentally places a food delivery order to her estranged ex-girlfriend’s house, she sets out on a journey to retrieve it, causing her to reexamine her entire relationship–and herself–in the process. Starring: Midori Francis, Alok Vaid-Menon, Alexis G. Zall, Sophia Arguelles, Railey Gilliland, Angelo Pagán and Heather Matarazzo.

It doesn’t take a comedy writer to know that there is absolute gold to be found within lesbian relationships. The intensity, the turbulence, the drama, the self-torture, the paranoia, the nitpicking, the vanity, the list goes on and on, it is fertile ground for an entertaining adventure, and that’s exactly what you get with Complicated Order.

The foundation is a good old-fashioned situation spinning out of control which feels highly nostalgic, but it also holds onto a modern feel. The tone and themes all feel very much of today, feeling particularly reminiscent of Aidy Bryant’s much too short-lived Shrill. Then the style and aesthetic has notes of the early 2000s, a time of Legally Blonde and of course, The Princess Diaries, with Heather Matarazzo making an absolutely stellar and massively memorable cameo.

Emmie Lichtenberg’s writing is particularly strong, it’s well paced with a big energy and is consistently funny throughout. The self-deprecating sense of humour is a lot of fun to watch, but there’s also a nice underlying message about valuing and respecting yourself in relationships. Dipping into that idea of making yourself small when your partner has a dominant personality and losing perspective. It’s sincere but is wrapped up in this highly enjoyable and lovably chaotic package which has an easy going feel.

Another element which is extremely consistent is the performances, this is a truly fantastic cast. Midori Francis leads the way as Remy with an unassuming, messy charm which slowly evolves into a relentless determination. The personality she creates has an underdog, rascal type air, she’s so easy to watch and effortless to root for in her strive to recover misdelivered pizza.

Then on top of Matarazzo’s cameo, Sophia Arguelles and Railey Gilliland are wonderful as the stoner, skater friends, the type of side characters you find in misadventures like Bill & Ted or Harold & Kumar. Alok Vaid-Menon is the caring but rational friend trying to nudge Remy in the right direction. While Angelo Pagán hits some great unsympathetic notes as the store owner who is very uninterested in Remy’s relationship drama.

Complicated Order is funny, energetic, enjoyable and creates a blend of modern and nostalgic adventure. There’s a very well chosen cast at work who all have a lot of personality to bring to the table, making for an excellent ensemble. The writing and direction are equally strong, the pacing adds a touch of suspense and while comedy takes the forefront, there’s a sweet message beneath it. It’s a good time and hopefully another steppingstone in the road of entertaining, relatable gay stories that we’ll continue to see more and more of.

Verdict: ✯✯✯✯✯ | 10/10

Screening next at Stamped Festival in Pensacola, Florida on September 28 & at Indianapolis LGBT Film Festival running November 10-19