Watch I Like Me

I Like Me is a 2018 independent film directed by Jonathan Cipiti, who co-wrote the screenplay with Anna Fagan, one of the film's stars. The movie focuses on the life of Madeline Stuart (played by Fagan), a young woman living in upstate New York who dreams of being a famous actress. Despite her clear passion for performance, Madeline works a dead-end job at a call center while trying to make her acting career happen on the side.

Throughout I Like Me, we see Madeline attend auditions and rehearsals, trying to make connections in the industry while still maintaining some semblance of a personal life. Madeline's best friend, Cynthia (Sue Schaffel), is always there to support her, but Madeline's relationship with her parents is more strained. Her father (Chris Kozlowski) thinks that acting is a waste of time, while her mother is more concerned with Madeline settling down and starting a family.

As Madeline tries to balance all of these conflicting pressures, she begins to spiral into a crisis of identity. She starts obsessing over her social media presence, driving herself crazy trying to get likes and followers. She starts to blur the line between her real life and her online persona, even going so far as to create fake accounts to leave comments on her own posts.

One of the key themes of I Like Me is the impact of social media on our sense of self. Madeline's obsession with likes and followers demonstrates how easy it is to get caught up in the validation of others and lose sight of our own desires and goals. This theme is especially timely given how much more prevalent social media has become in the years since the film's release.

The performances in I Like Me are strong across the board, with Fagan and Schaffel having excellent chemistry as best friends. Fagan imbues Madeline with a frantic energy that is equal parts endearing and frustrating - we want her to succeed, but it's hard not to cringe when she posts a cringey selfie or tries too hard to network at a party. Schaffel is a standout as Cynthia, providing a grounded, compassionate counterpoint to Madeline's manic energy. Kozlowski rounds out the primary cast nicely as Madeline's skeptical father.

Visually, I Like Me has a very indie feel to it. The cinematography is functional rather than flashy, and there are some creative uses of split-screen that underscore the theme of identity confusion. The film also features some quirky interstitial sequences that break up the main narrative and add a touch of whimsy.

The biggest issue with I Like Me is the pacing. While the film is relatively short at just over an hour, there are times when it feels like not enough is happening to justify the runtime. Madeline's struggles with her identity and the pressures of social media are compelling, but there are stretches of the film - particularly in the middle - that drag a bit. That being said, the film's breezy runtime means that this is never a huge issue.

Overall, I Like Me is a charming indie film that explores some timely themes around social media and the quest for validation. It's not a particularly deep or groundbreaking movie, but it's well-performed and entertaining enough to be worth a watch. Fagan and Schaffel are both talents to watch, and Cipiti shows promise as a director.

I Like Me is a 2019 comedy with a runtime of 1 hour and 24 minutes. It has received mostly poor reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 3.8.