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What Happened Was...

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1:02

What Happened Was...

R

1994

1h 31m

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

91%

Tomatometer

23 Reviews

76%

Popcornmeter

250+ Ratings

Jackie (Karen Sillas) is an executive assistant. Michael (Tom Noonan) is a paralegal. By day, they work together at the same law firm, but tonight they're on their first date. He's a tall man with an intense look that some would find intimidating, but she is intrigued by him, and the two spend an evening in deep discussion, each performing the necessary verbal footwork to find out as much about the other as possible. As they dig deeper into each other's pasts, they make startling discoveries.

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Owen Gleiberman

Entertainment Weekly

Rated: B+

Sep 7, 2011

Full Review

Emanuel Levy

Variety

This intense, mysterious drama about a date between two lonely misfits, is sensitively directed by Tom Noonan, better known as an actor; it was the surprise winner of the Grand Jury Prize of the 1994 Sundance Film Festival.

Rated: B+

Dec 20, 2006

Full Review

Alison Macor

Austin Chronicle

Rated: 3.5/5

Sep 9, 2002

Full Review

Rosalie Kicks

MovieJawn

This film is thought provoking, unsettling and what Noonan manages to do with a single space is incredible.

Rated: 4/4

Jun 19, 2024

Full Review

Laura Clifford

Reeling Reviews

Oscilloscope's 4K scan of an original 35mm print issued on blu-ray, the first time this 1994 Sundance winner...has been made available in a DVD format, is cause for celebration...Tom Noonan delivered his magnum opus right out of the gate.

Rated: A-

Jun 21, 2021

Full Review

Patrick Dahl

Screen Slate

A largely forgotten triumph from the margins of the mid-90s Sundance boom.

Feb 24, 2021

Full Review

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Sam N

Companion is a film that ambitiously attempts to explore weighty themes, but perhaps takes on more than it can fully develop. On the surface, it engages with AI and robotic ethics, but its real substance lies in its poignant examination of domestic abuse, coercion, control, and the morally murky intersection of self-defence and violence. These elements add depth and a sense of empathy, but the film’s tight 90-minute runtime doesn’t give them the space they deserve. Despite its ambition and moments of genuine tension, the trailer completely undermined my enjoyment, which inexplicably spoils the film’s major twist. Who thought that was a good idea? Keeping the reveal for the film itself would have made for a far more potent experience. In the end, Companion is an entertaining but frustrating watch, not a failure of technology or storytelling, but of poor marketing and bad decisions, made by humans.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/06/25

Full Review

Audience Member

Really wanted to like this movie but had to stop about halfway through because of unrealness and sheer boredom. I don't think two intelligent people would have a communique anything like this that would go on so long. Their defense mechanisms would have clicked on long before. Thought it was sad and painful to watch none the less. Couldn't understand why she put up with this bumbling fool so long.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

02/22/23

Full Review

Audience Member

The perfect 'date movie'. Subtle, strange, and touching.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/05/23

Full Review

Audience Member

The date of lowered expectations leads to a nice film where Noonan just lets the camera roll and allows the characters to develop within their own private space. Nice.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/07/23

Full Review

Audience Member

This intense, mysterious drama about a date between two lonely misfits, is sensitively directed by Tom Noonan, better known as an actor; it was the surprise winner of the Grand Jury Prize of the 1994 Sundance Film Festival.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/25/23

Full Review

Audience Member

The awkwardness was great to watch, but, a little art housey for me.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/05/23

Full Review

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Tom Noonan

Director

Karen Sillas

Jackie Marsh

Tom Noonan

Michael

Tom Noonan

Screenwriter

Robin O'Hara

Producer

Scott Macaulay

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What Happened Was...: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

Jackie (Karen Sillas) is an executive assistant. Michael (Tom Noonan) is a paralegal. By day, they work together at the same law firm, but tonight they're on their first date. He's a tall man with an intense look that some would find intimidating, but she is intrigued by him, and the two spend an evening in deep discussion, each performing the necessary verbal footwork to find out as much about the other as possible. As they dig deeper into each other's pasts, they make startling discoveries.

Director: Tom Noonan
Producer: Robin O'Hara, Scott Macaulay
Screenwriter: Tom Noonan
Rating: R
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 23, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $324.2K
Runtime: 1h 31m

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