People, Places, Things

This week's easiest comedy pick in Australia on Amazon Prime Video, and in the US on Amazon Prime Video and Kanopy is People, Places, Things. The length is exactly right for the story it is telling — nothing rushed, nothing dragged out. A 7/10 rating says what the writing already makes obvious: this one works. Jemaine Clement sets the tone, and the rest of the cast matches it scene for scene. There is no real reason to keep putting it off — it is right there on Amazon Prime Video.

People, Places, Things is not trying to be everything to everyone, and that focus is exactly what makes it work. The jokes in People, Places, Things land because the characters underneath them are worth caring about. Will Henry is a newly single graphic novelist balancing being a parent to his young twin daughters and teaching a classroom full of college students, all the while trying to navigate the rich complexities of new love and letting go of the woman who left him. Jemaine Clement and Regina Hall lead a cast with the timing to make it work. It was released in 2015. People, Places, Things earns its laughs from character rather than situation, which is why it does not wear thin the way pure farce tends to. There is real craft here, even in the moments that do not fully land.

For viewers who want something light without wanting something stupid, People, Places, Things respects your intelligence. It stands on its own even without an obvious comparison point. Short enough to finish in one sitting, substantial enough to feel satisfying. Jemaine Clement's comic timing carries it through its weaker moments. The kind of comedy you recommend to someone who claims they do not watch much.

People, Places, Things was released in 2015, directed by Jim Strouse. The full 85-minute film is available to watch now. Find exactly where it's streaming below, and TV Butler Pro makes it effortless to track your progress as you go. Just search the name, and Butler finds it instantly, tells you which service has it, and remembers exactly where you left off.