Addicted to Fresno (2015)

Film Overview
"Addicted to Fresno" is a 2015 American black funny film directed by Jamie Babbit and written by Karey Dornetto. The movie stars Judy Greer, Natasha Lyonne, Aubrey Plaza, Clea DuVall, Ron Livingston, and Fred Armisen. The film focuses on 2 co-dependent sisters: one a lonesome, fresh out of rehabilitation sex-addict, and the other an ironical, hard-working house maid at a hotel in Fresno. Their lives take a negligent turn, leading them through an outrageous path of hijinks and crime.

Main Characters
Judy Greer plays Shannon, a sex addict who has simply completed rehabilitation, and is frantically attempting to remain on the ideal track. Natasha Lyonne stars as Martha, a dedicated sibling heavily invested in assisting Shannon reconstruct her life. Martha takes Shannon in for a clean slate by assisting her get a job at the Fresno Suites, the very same hotel where she works as a maid. Martha shows a level of undeviating loyalty and stoicism however not without harboring some obvious disappointment with the mess her sis consistently brings into their lives.

Aubrey Plaza plays Kelly, a fitness center instructor who is lesbian and complete of vigor, acting as a comic relief in the movie and also as Martha's love interest. There is also Fred as Gerald, who is consumed with a personal pastime of transforming into peculiar animals for sensual satisfaction.

Plot Summary
The plot deviates when Shannon, unable to resist temptation, sleeps with a visitor, Boris, represented by Jon Daly. In the heat of a fight, Shannon accidentally kills Boris. The siblings, in a frenzied attempt to hide the proof and conserve Shannon from her past life, choose to deal with Boris's body by incinerating it in a remote treking trail. Nevertheless, their cover-up activities capture the attention of another guest, Ruby (Molly Shannon), who becomes suspicious and starts blackmailing them.

Improvement and Resolution
As the sis face the challenging task of conquering this ordeal, they reconnect in ways that they hadn't previously. Shannon lastly discovers to regard Martha's suggestions and understands her worth in helping her to overcome her dependency. Her change is marked when she confesses to killing Boris to the investigators who have been onto them, resulting in her returning to rehab and being positioned under home arrest after her probation.

Martha, on the other hand, discovers the courage to confess her feelings to Kelly, accepting the complexity and messiness of love. The film ends with them commemorating Shannon's release from home arrest, and Martha and Kelly deciding to remain together.

Critical Reception
Upon its release, "Addicted to Fresno" received mixed evaluations from critics. Some applauded its darkly humorous tone and the performances, specifically by Greer and Lyonne. Others found the story's resolution to be unconvincing and the humor too off-kilter for mainstream audiences. Despite these blended responses, the film's take on addiction and the struggles of reintegration, encapsulated in the interactions between the 2 sisters, struck home with numerous.

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