The To Do List

The To Do List has quietly become one of the more dependable comedies currently available in the US on Kanopy and Hoopla. The length is exactly right for the story it is telling — nothing rushed, nothing dragged out. With 1,100 viewer ratings on TMDB, this is not a title flying under the radar. Aubrey Plaza 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 Kanopy.

Whatever else is competing for your attention this week, The To Do List is worth clearing space for. The jokes in The To Do List land because the characters underneath them are worth caring about. Feeling pressured to become more sexually experienced before she goes to college, Brandy Klark makes a list of things to accomplish before hitting campus in the fall. Aubrey Plaza and Johnny Simmons lead a cast with the timing to make it work. It was released in 2013. The timing in The To Do List is precise enough that even the throwaway lines land on a second watch. It knows exactly what it is, and does not try to be anything else.

For viewers who want something light without wanting something stupid, The To Do List respects your intelligence. It does not lean on comparisons to make its case. It is a manageable watch, easy to fit into a single evening. Aubrey Plaza anchors an ensemble with real chemistry. Genuinely funny, consistently, across the whole run.