Appropriate Behavior

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Appropriate Behavior

Released Jan 16, 2015

1h 26m

Comedy

LGBTQ+

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Popcornmeter

97%

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62 Reviews

64%

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1,000+ Ratings

A secretly bisexual Brooklynite (Desiree Akhavan) from a traditional Persian family struggles with her identity and the disintegration of her relationship with her girlfriend (Rebecca Henderson).

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Critics Consensus

Warm, funny, and quietly profound, Appropriate Behavior serves as a thoroughly compelling calling card for writer, director, and star Desiree Akhavan.

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Kayla Kumari Upadhyaya

Autostraddle

Akhavan has no problem making us stay close and personal. Shirin holds people at a distance, but Akhavan’s approach to filmmaking is intensely intimate.

Apr 23, 2024

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KaeLyn

Autostraddle

The humor was so dry, but it was so good.

Aug 12, 2021

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Candice Frederick

Reel Talk Online

... while its themes are important, they've all but fallen to the wayside by the film's third act, which becomes a far too typical hipster comedy (think Frances Ha) with an anticlimactic ending that doesn't bring any closure to Shirin's story.

Rated: B-

Sep 1, 2017

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Yasmin Omar

Harper's Bazaar

The movie feels like a feature-length episode of Girls (in which Akhavan would later guest-star), awash with bratty outbursts, awkward threesomes and sloppy physical comedy.

Rated: 4/5

Jun 25, 2021

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Nick Levine

NME (New Musical Express)

Far from another trendy comedy, Appropriate Behaviour is sharp, charming and crammed full of life, warts and all.

Rated: 4/5

May 27, 2021

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Cameron Ward

One Room With A View

Desiree Akhavan's freely accomplished feature debut brings undoubted talent to new tales of love, loss and lesbianism.

Rated: 4/5

May 31, 2019

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PridePosterStudios

Not the panties!! ✂️

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

04/24/24

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luca j

I thought it was a pretty cute film, easy watch but explored some subtle (and not so subtle) intricasies of relationships, which I think everyone would relate to. But I also think POC would find the cultural conflict the 'American of Iranian descent' protagonist experiences particularly relatable. And I suspect that LGBTQ+ people would also find a lot of it particularly relatable. It was nice how themes that are normally explored in heavy/sad/intense films were explored in a a way that the film retained it's 'lightness' and humour.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

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Audience Member

Pretty good movie starring the girl from creep 2. I did enjoy this movie but during the last 15 20 minutes I was bored to death and I was trying to like the main character but then there was a heel turn and I then got bored. The ending always makes or breaks a movie and sadly this movies ending 15 20 minutes sucked.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/19/23

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Audience Member

Pretty good movie starring the girl from creep 2. I did enjoy this movie but during the last 15 20 minutes I was bored to death and I was trying to like the main character but then there was a heel turn and I then got bored. The ending always makes or breaks a movie and sadly this movies ending 15 20 minutes sucked.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

04/22/20

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Audience Member

Didn't delve deep enough.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

02/06/23

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Audience Member

Hillarious and edgy.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/30/23

Full Review

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Desiree Akhavan

Director

Desiree Akhavan

Shirin

Rebecca Henderson

Maxine

Scott Adsit

Ken

Halley Feiffer

Crystal

Anh Duong

Nasrin

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Synopsis

A secretly bisexual Brooklynite (Desiree Akhavan) from a traditional Persian family struggles with her identity and the disintegration of her relationship with her girlfriend (Rebecca Henderson).

Director: Desiree Akhavan
Producer: Cecilia Frugiuele
Screenwriter: Desiree Akhavan
Distributor: Gravitas Ventures
Production Co: Parkville Pictures
Genre: Comedy, LGBTQ+
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jan 16, 2015, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 30, 2016
Runtime: 1h 26m

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