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Poster for The Freebie

The Freebie

A one night experiment in infidelity

2010 · 1h 18m · R Comedy, Drama
Directed by Katie Aselton

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Overview

Annie and Darren have been married for seven years, and they love each other as much as the day they were wed; they're affectionate, have fun together, and enjoy games such as crossword puzzle races. They would seem to have a perfect relationship, except for one thing -- they haven't had sex in ages, and seem to have lost all interest in making love with one another, no matter how they try to put each other in the mood. Hoping to put some adventure back into their lives, Annie and Darren come up with an unusual idea -- they each get one night in which they're free to find someone and have sex with them, scot-free. But is this going to help their relationship, or is it just going to turn a small problem into a big problem?

Director and cast

Critics on Rotten Tomatoes

Top critics, in their words

All reviews
56%
Tomatometer
Fresh

A sly examination of the fragility of love.

Rene Rodriguez, Miami Herald
Rotten

A not too funny, not too sad, largely improvised dramedy about two nice people who both succumb to the seven-year-itch and live to regret it.

Tirdad Derakhshani, Philadelphia Inquirer
Fresh

Aselton gets a lot said in 78 minutes. I think the main thing she says is something never overtly spoken, that life is essentially a lonely experience - even when we're surrounded by activity, and even if we never shut up.

Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle
Rotten

Though the dialogue explores some interesting territory, the couple remain elusive and a little dull; we never learn anything about them beyond the subject at hand, so they seem to exist in an odd, screenwriting-exercise vacuum.

Moira MacDonald, Seattle Times
Fresh

Though its premise seems ripe for a high-concept studio yukfest, The Freebie is all the better for its low-budget, human-scale approach.

Gary Goldstein, Los Angeles Times

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