Keira Knightley gets a seriously needed break from stodgy costume dramas and two too many “Pirates of the Caribbean” with “Laggies,” a comic drama about a 28-year-old woman who finds herself in a crisis and needing to escape.
Knightley plays Megan, who takes a break from life when her longtime boyfriend and high school sweetheart proposes. She’s the kind of stunted character that you see in Hollywood, who, when presented with a step forward towards adulthood, takes a step backwards.
That back step comes in the form of Annika (Chloë Grace Moretz), a 16 year old looking for someone to buy her and her friends booze one night outside a liquor store.
Megan obliges, then befriends them, eventually taking refuge in Annika’s home, unbeknownst to her single dad, Craig (Sam Rockwell).
You know where this is going, with the lost soul finding her way and the jaded old soul opening up his heart. But when you have leads like Knightley and Rockwell, it turns into a well-acted and endearing journey.
If you go:
2.5 stars
Directed by Lynn Shelton
Starring Keira Knightley, Chloe Grace Moretz, Sam Rockwell
Rated R
Playing at AMC Loews Lincoln Square, AMC Loews Village 7
