Don't Tell Larry
| Don't Tell Larry | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Greg Porper John Schimke |
| Written by | Greg Porper John Schimke |
| Produced by | Greg Porper |
| Starring | Patty Guggenheim Kiel Kennedy Kenneth Mosley Dot-Marie Jones Ed Begley Jr. |
Production company | Pro Key Entertainment |
| Distributed by | Level 33 Entertainment |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 95 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Don't Tell Larry is a 2023 American dark comedy film written and directed by Greg Porper and John Schimke. The film stars Patty Guggenheim, Kiel Kennedy, Kenneth Mosley, Dot-Marie Jones, and Ed Begley Jr.
Plot
After lying to her new eccentric coworker Larry about a company party, an ambitious promotion-seeking office worker must deal with the wildly unexpected consequences. As her white lie spirals out of control, suspicions of a mysterious workplace death surface, and Susan finds herself entangled in a chaotic cover-up that pushes her ambition and morality to the edge.
Cast
- Patty Guggenheim as Susan
- Kiel Kennedy as Larry
- Kenneth Mosley as Patrick
- Dot-Marie Jones as Detective Kim Hammer
- Ed Begley Jr. as Bruce Waters
Production
The film was shot in and around the Dallas/Fort Worth metro area, with scenes set in the Upper Midwest. Porper and Schimke scouted dozens of office buildings before selecting a vacant mid-rise in Hurst, Texas, formerly occupied by an architecture firm. The space had “disassembled cubicles, broken furniture, and a floor lined with decades-old binders and dot-matrix printers.” The filmmakers rented it for two months, spending nearly four weeks cleaning it out and converting it into a functioning film set.[2]
The film began as a web series and was developed into a feature during the COVID-19 pandemic, partially funded by the filmmakers selling off personal assets.[3]
Release
Don't Tell Larry had its world premiere at the 2023 Austin Film Festival,[4] where its script had previously advanced to the Second Round in the 2020 competition.[5] It was released in select theaters as part of a day/date release in the United States on June 20, 2025, by Level 33 Entertainment.[3]
Reception
Writing for Film Threat, Sabina Dana Plasse called the film “a blast of fresh-air comedy” and described it as “loaded with laughs, gasps, and cringes.”[6]
John Edward Betancourt of Nerds That Geek described the film as “a delightfully demented black comedy” and “a perfect comedy when all is said and done.”[7]
Mike Patrick of Movie Jawn wrote that the film “brings a fresh perspective to the office comedy genre,” and includes “genuinely gripping moments.”[8]
Luna Guthrie of Collider described it as “a workplace comedy that’s as bizarre as it is unpredictable,” while noting that “some pacing issues hold it back from hitting every mark.”[9]
References
- ^ "2023 Conference Schedule".
- ^ Jorgenson, Todd (June 19, 2025). "How Two L.A. Filmmakers Built a DIY Movie Set in a Vacant North Texas Mid-Rise". D Magazine. Retrieved 2025-08-13.
- ^ a b Gajewski, Ryan (May 1, 2025). "'Don't Tell Larry' Sets June Theatrical Release". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2025-08-13.
- ^ Lattanzio, Ryan (October 4, 2023). "2023 Austin Film Festival Lineup Includes 'The Absence of Eden,' 'I'm Not Everything I Want to Be'". IndieWire. Retrieved 2025-08-13.
- ^ "Austin Film Festival Announces 2020 Script Competition Semifinalists & Second Rounders". Austin Film Festival. September 15, 2020. Retrieved 2025-08-13.
- ^ Plasse, Sabina Dana (June 16, 2025). "Don't Tell Larry: A Blast of Fresh-Air Comedy". Film Threat. Retrieved 2025-08-13.
- ^ Betancourt, John Edward (October 2023). "Austin Film Festival Movie Review: 'Don't Tell Larry'". Nerds That Geek. Retrieved 2025-08-13.
- ^ Patrick, Mike (June 20, 2025). "DON'T TELL LARRY brings fresh perspective to the office comedy". Movie Jawn. Retrieved 2025-08-13.
- ^ Guthrie, Luna (June 20, 2025). "Don't Tell Larry - Film Review". Collider. Retrieved 2025-08-13.