Obvious Child

In being courageous, scrappy, and not quite as amusing as it thinks it is, Gillian Robespierre’s controversial romcom mimics its heroine, a down-on-her-luck Brooklyn comedian (Jenny Slate) struggling to tell a straight-laced one-night stand that she’s become pregnant. We’re in Girls territory here, with awkward, confessional dark comedy that slyly mocks hipster self-absorption while indulging in it.

Its raw edges, grungy setting, and matter-of-fact tone about abortion mark it out from sunnier unplanned-preggo comedies like Juno or Knocked Up. Fizzing with neurosis and nervous gags, Jenny Slate’s winning odd-couple romance with a gawky Jake Lacy carries the movie over the odd comic misfire.