Incognito: A charmingly messy bit of old-school fun

Is it worth your time?

Look, if you are looking for a tight, high-stakes thriller, keep walking. You’ll probably hate this if you need a plot that makes sense every single second or if you get annoyed by characters who constantly lie for no good reason. But, if you like watching people get into pickles just to see how they climb out, you might actually enjoy this little relic. It’s got a specific kind of casual rhythm that modern movies just don’t bother with anymore.

The whole thing feels like it was put together on a Sunday afternoon, which is meant as a compliment. There’s a scene early on involving a mix-up at a social gathering that goes on about thirty seconds longer than it probably should. It feels awkward, almost like the actors forgot their marks, but it actually ends up being the funniest part of the film. It’s human, somehow.

Small moments that stuck

• The way Renée Saint-Cyr navigates the room feels like she’s trying to avoid an invisible swarm of bees.
• The background extras in the café scenes look like they’re just waiting for their lunch break to start.
• One of the reaction shots lingers so long you start to wonder if the camera operator fell asleep.

It’s not as dense as The Messenger, which takes itself way too seriously half the time. This movie gets noticeably better once it stops trying to explain the 'why' behind the chaos and just lets the 'what' take over. There’s a total lack of ego here that I honestly find refreshing.

I found myself thinking about Second Honeymoon while watching this, mainly because both films rely on that same jittery, nervous energy. It’s a bit messy, sure. The pacing stumbles over its own feet more than once. But honestly? I’d rather watch a movie trip over itself than watch one that’s been sanded down until it’s perfectly, boringly flat.

The dialogue isn't exactly high art, but it has a nice clip to it. People talk over each other in ways that feel real, even if the situations are entirely ridiculous. It’s like watching a train wreck where everyone involved is surprisingly polite. 🚂

Some of the technical choices are just plain weird. The lighting in the second act drops off so sharply in the corners of the frame that it looks like the set ran out of electricity. I kind of loved it. It added this weird, claustrophobic intimacy that wasn't there before.

Is it perfect? Hardly. Is it a masterpiece? Not even close. But it’s a movie that clearly had a good time making itself, and that’s a rare thing to catch on screen. Sometimes a film just needs to exist, and that’s enough.