“Basic,” a new comedy, premiered at SXSW 2026 and got good reviews for its funny, bubbly take on obsession after a breakup and the problems that come with social media. Chelsea Devantez makes her feature film debut as director. Ashley Park plays Gloria, who confronts her ex-boyfriend Nick’s (Taylor John Smith) “basic” ex Kaylinn (Leighton Meester) by going through his dating history.
After breaking up with Nick, Gloria goes crazy and starts looking into his exes until she blames everything on the very simple but interesting Kaylinn, who is taking not only her man but also her whole story. Based on Devantez’s award-winning 2020 short that won Best Comedy at HollyShorts, it mixes sharp satire with rom-com vibes that everyone can relate to.
Ashley Park does a great job as the increasingly crazy Gloria, and Leighton Meester does a great job as the annoying but empty villain. Taylor John Smith, Nelson Franklin, and others play supporting roles that add a lot of funny depth to the character-driven chaos.
Angie Han’s review of it in the Hollywood Reporter talks about how dangerous it is to Google exes, which makes it stand out among the SXSW premieres.
About the author
Daya Nanoskar is an Entertainment Writer at Awesome TV and a contributor to AWSM Times. Daya covers film news, streaming releases, celebrity updates and industry news across Hollywood and Bollywood, and has written more than 2,300 stories for Awesome TV. Story tips and corrections: hello@awesometv.com.
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