Notice To Quit (2024) Movie Review

“Notice To Quit” follows an out-of-work actor in New York who is working as a small-time realtor to make a living. It goes without saying that life in one of the most expensive cities is not cheap. A lot of its population either have robust parental support or a strong ambition to make it work. In the case of Andy, the protagonist of “Notice To Quit,” it seems to be neither. His father has a place in New York, but he cannot live off his father for the rest of his life. On the other hand, he decided to pursue acting as a profession but never wholeheartedly committed to it.

While primarily about Andy’s struggles, the film is a two-hander as it follows a day in his and his daughter, Anna’s life. We meet Andy on one of the most stressful days of his life. He owes four months of rent to his apartment owner. So, the owner decides to evict him. Anna gives a surprise visit just on the day of his eviction. So, the owner offers him by the end of that day to provide the money. Well, earning it all in a day isn’t a joke, especially for a failure like him. No one respects him at his real estate office. His boss assigns him crappy apartments to rent. So, he cannot make any sales, unlike his scrappy, efficient colleagues.

Andy blames external factors for his failing life – the lack of good opportunities, the burden of parental responsibility, and a lost career. In the past, he worked on a commercial for a product, and it follows him (and still haunts him) throughout the city. People recognize him as ‘that guy’ to this day. He doesn’t appreciate it. However, he is not ready to return to his life as an actor. Maybe he is afraid of constant rejections or being frequently called a failure. Perhaps he thinks real estate offers a better probability of success. Nevertheless, he does not accept his flaws as a realtor or just fails to work on them to improve himself.

Notice To Quit (2024) Movie Review - hof 11 — A still from “Notice To Quit” (2024)

Even as a father of a tween, Andy has little to no sense of responsibility. He often fumbles during his job and is incompetent at one thing he needs to be good at – to sell stuff. In him, we sense an urge for survival but rarely for growth or progress. He blames his now-separated wife for Anna’s burden on his stressful day without considering her stressful hospital job. Overall, he appears to be an unlikeable figure. Yet, the film chooses not to thrash him. Instead of being overtly critical, it uses a humanist lens to examine his weaknesses and emotional canvas.

“Notice to Quit” excels primarily because of its central casting choices. Michael Zegen and Kasey Bella Suarez present a heartening portrait of Andy and Anna’s love-hate relationship that feels universal in its appeal. Even as barely a tween, Anna understands her father’s flaws better than he does. Maybe he does not have the heart to accept them. Regardless, Michael and Kasey’s utterly believable, naturalistic performances elevate the film despite its occasional narrative constraints. That’s why it becomes an evocative portrait of their push-and-pull relationship.

Speaking about Simon Hacker’s direction, the film is a quintessential New York snapshot and follows characters with idiosyncracies that the city is known for. This doesn’t come as a surprise, considering the director’s previous collaboration with John Wilson. There’s calm, and there’s chaos. It co-exists in a way singularly possible in the Big Apple. Besides, the film periodically becomes as anxiety-inducing as a Safdie brothers’ thriller flick. Hacker carefully builds chaotic moments without losing the essence of the setting.

While dealing with a character with no concrete discernible positives, Decker’s film enters bittersweet slice-of-drama territory, as we have seen numerous times in the past. Yet, despite the script’s simpler approach to dealing with its conflicts, the film never feels manipulative or contrived. It is a small film with a big heart, and we all need them more than ever.