Shiva Baby is a wickedly funny comedy about modern Jewish family dynamics [CIFF]

The feature debut from writer/director Emma Seligman, Shiva Baby (expanded from Seligman’s 2018 short) is a wonderfully wry comedy about a young woman’s life unraveling during the course of an afternoon at a shiva (the post-burial mourning for Jewish families).

Rachel Sennott stars as Danielle, a student flailing between school and work, who has a sugar-daddy arrangement with the older Max (Danny Deferrari). Dragged to attend shiva for a woman she barely knows, Danielle soon bumps into her ex-girlfriend Maya (Molly Gordon, Booksmart), a situation that only becomes more awkward when Max turns up with his wife and their new baby in tow.

Shiva Baby unfolds like a feature-length episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm; Danielle has to juggle the throngs of pushy relatives who quiz her about her weight and love life, her well-meaning but intense parents (brilliantly played by the iconic Polly Draper and Fred Melamed), her ex-girlfriend, and her confusing relationship with Max, which has been built on lies from each side.

In many ways, Shiva Baby already feels like a comedy classic. Everything from Seligman’s spot-on script and direction to the incredible performances from the ensemble cast feels lived-in and real. Shiva Baby perfectly encapsulates the complexities of modern Jewish family dynamics, contained within one of the best debut comedies in years. You’ll lap it up like a bagel with schmear.

Shiva Baby screened as part of the Calgary International Film Festival.