User Reviews

In my quest to watch all things Katie Aselton, I thought I'd found pure gold when I stumbled upon this movie. I watched the preview to see if my bounty was true or fools gold. The preview played it off like a light hearted romantic comedy so I was sold! Much like the premise of the better known comedy Hall Pass, a young couple comes to an agreement to take one night off from their marriage in hopes of rekindling the spark in their relationship. Much UNLIKE the better known comedy Hall Pass, this is not a comedy at all but rather a horror movie. Their guilt and shame at what they've done destroys the bedrock of their relationship and we're left to pick up the pieces. Dax Shepard and director Katie Aselton are pleasant enough as the young couple but I watched the first half of this movie thinking that this doesn't look like a couple that is having intimacy problems. The second half of the movie I just thought Dax's character was a jackass. Katie, of course, was a princess. I found it to be very similar to Indecent Proposal in that it tells the story of a young couple that tempts fate in an attempt to save their relationship only to find they've set about destroying it instead.

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........... for one short scene !

Katie Aselton has given us a movie that is just one long and mostly uninteresting setup for one short scene. That one short scene with Dax Shepard and Katie Aselton is the grand blowout argument between Annie and Darren in the kitchen. At this point the story is almost over.

Then we jump to the reconciliation scene in the front seat of their auto parked in the driveway. So what you just watched for about 75 minutes comes to a head in the kitchen then fizzles out in the car. Love triumphs!

Then at movies end this couple start the movie all over again by bringing up the topic that almost dissolved their marriage to start with. But with one difference, they are speaking only in hypothetical terms. This is suppose to make it --- OK???

A silly unfunny marriage romp in an unbelievable story!

The high concept question asked by "The Freebie" is: If you and your spouse gave each other total freedom to indulge in a one-night stand, no questions asked and no strings attached, would you do it?

The couple at the center of the movie (played by Dax Shepard and the film's writer/director Katie Aselton) do it, or at least probably do it (I wasn't even aware that the film even hinted at ambiguity as to its outcome until after I'd already seen it and read comments from the Internet community about it -- it seemed pretty clear to me while watching the film). And the results, predictably, are disastrous for their relationship.

"The Freebie" is a frustrating viewing experience, mostly because of the characters played by Shepard and Aselton. They're the kind of people who talk and talk and talk about every last minute emotion and feeling they're having, treating each other more like their own personal blogs than like a life partner. Their relationship has fallen into a rut and no wonder -- I'd be sick to death of anyone who I spent that much time navel gazing with. By the time the movie's over, I didn't much care whether or not they stayed together, because them together drove me crazier than either of them did when they were apart from one another. When tensions overflow into a shockingly nasty (especially on the part of Shepard's husband) fight at the end, you're almost relieved, because for once these two people have stopped being so damn nicey-nice and understanding with one another and actually just say what they feel.

"The Freebie" is ultimately a little too slight and underdeveloped to really be satisfying, but I will admit that it had me and my wife talking quite a bit about even a couple of days after we'd seen it, so it obviously achieved something.

Grade: B-

This is just such a terrible film. I can't actually remember the last time I had to turn a film off halfway through.

The acting is just amateur, characters are two dimensional, and the plot is so slow it barely moves.

The camera angles and way its directed are clearly trying to make it more "true to life" but I feel sorry for anyone has a life is that slow and monotone. Its like watching an old man fall asleep in slow motion.

Its not smart, its not funny, its not enlightening...its just dull and dragged out.

If two people sitting in bed talking really slowly about nothing in particular and nothing actually happening is for you, or if you want a sure way to fall asleep..watch this film.

... to sit through until the end. but if you are looking for substance other than the obvious, this sketch is not for you.

admittedly, the acting is quite good and the fact that it was largely improvised is quite impressive. the characters are sympathetic enough to feel sorry for. but I am seriously in doubt that the movie adds something meaningful to any human being capable of the following thoughts:

the sex life in a long lasting relationship can suffer over time - openly talking about it does not necessary improve the situation - unanimously approved "cheating" on each other is not really a way out - don"t do it.

good thing it's low budget, but I'm sorry to say: writer, director and star Katie Aselton took on two jobs too many. she is a great actress. stick to what you do best.

I seriously don't want to spend any other minute related to that movie. I'm only reviewing it to save someone else's useful time.

This is one of the worst movies I've seen in quite a bit. Not for the film itself, but the script. It's absolutely conservatory and backward-thinking!! I was just BORED throughout all the few 77 minutes (which could easily have been 7). It doesn't go anywhere, it's just stuck in one point! A script needs to evolve in order to get the spectator's attention!

The direction was really poor, I don't think there even was an art director or a photography director on the team. There are some completely useless cuts and scenes, the background is ridiculous, the cameras are flippin' crazy... and I don't really like Dax Shepard, but that's just me.

But the worst is really the story of it all, that script. c'mon, it's 2011, we've already passed even the "it's the 21st century" thing, 'cause it got old. there is absolutely no use for that kind of movie in these days.

If you're anyhow open-minded about sex, love and relationships, you're gonna hate this movie.

"The Freebie" is about a couple who decide to give each other one free night off from their marriage. It sounds like the upcoming Owen Wilson comedy "Hall Pass"(2011), except in this case it's not a comedy. At least I don't think it's a comedy. It has been marketed as one but I don't think it was the filmmaker's intention.

Instead of cheap laughs, we get a very personal, introspective look into one couple's relationship. Dax Shepard and director Katie Aselton play Darren and Annie who claim that they have the best relationship—with open communication and complete honesty. The film doesn't just tell us they are open and honest but we see it, and experience it, for ourselves. They are more open and honest than I imagine most real life couples ever could be.

The question of, "is there such thing as too honest?" comes up when Darren expresses to Annie that he sometimes has a desire to sleep with somebody else. Since they are so confident with what they have, they foresee no problems with each other having a freebie. The film actually finds a way to explore this set-up in a fairly interesting way. I was very curious with the fate of their relationship and I wanted to see how it would get there.

I was a bit concerned that there was no comedy, and there was nothing else to the story, but I think they came up with a new way to tell the same old story—a story about sex, but without resorting to showing us sexy stars in naked poses. Instead, we just got a very naked, raw examination of a relationship. "The Freebie" is definitely worth a look if that sounds interesting to you.

I'm gonna keep this short: I was impressed with the camera work as it told the story very well. Every shot made me feel more uncomfortable with the subject matter, which is the unrealistic notion that a night off from a stagnant (routine) marriage is the key to rejuvenation. I can't help but think of Dr. Tobias Funke saying, "no, it never works for them...but it could work for us!" It doesn't, it can't and it won't. This story is told very well. I love Katie on the League, and Dax is pretty much playing the same character he does on Parenthood. It works. I would have liked to see a better supporting cast, but the girl from Altamont Now is good. I hope to see her in do more, but I have yet to get thru Blue Mountain State. Thanks for reading.

With the concept plot of the movie, you already know just exactly what will happen and how the movie will turn out. And right indeed, the movie was just that predictable.

"The Freebie" is about married couple Annie (played by Katie Aselton) and Darren (played by Dax Shepard) who are toying with the idea of letting each other go out and have a one night stand with whomever they want, without any questions asked. And upon completion of the dirty deed (pardon the pun here), it puts a massive strain on their relationship afterwards.

Right, well the storyline was adequate, although so predictable that you knew what happened well before it actually did. And as such, the movie didn't really hold up much enjoyment.

What did keep the movie sort of afloat was the chemistry between Katie Aselton and Dax Shepard and their portrayal of the married couple. They actually put on rather good performances, but it just didn't really manage to lit the movie out of the trench into which it had dug itself with a questionable storyline.

Now, the movie says comedy and drama, I did, however, fail to find the comedy aspects to this movie. So don't get your hopes up, because this movie will not have you breaking out in cramps from laughing too hard.

If you enjoy movies that deal with life as a married couple and the things that can go wrong in a relationship, then there are far better movies out there. "The Freebie" didn't really deliver much in a fashion that makes the movie all that worthwhile to spend about an hour and a half on watching.

I'll start with the one bone I need to pick: the title of the movie, The Freebie. The name implies that the film is fun and lighthearted. Sure, at times. But, as a whole, this is a serious story that will surely be relatable to a whole lot of people. And, while I'm on the topic, I get the impression that a lot of people were misled by both the poster (which makes it look like an Jud Apatow movie) and the casting of Dax Shepard, who is mostly known for his comedic roles. Thus, I'd guess, the low score the movie has on IMDb. The unreasonably low score.

So, I'm guessing, someone along the way knew that this was a pretty great movie and thus wanted it to be one that people would see. Thus the title. Thus the poster. Thus all the wrong people seeing this movie. The Freebie is for fans of Noah Baumbach and Joe Swanberg.

What The Freebie is is naturalistic drama done right. The story is simple: a happy couple decide to "fix" their bedroom apathy by taking a single night to go out and share some bone with a stranger. Both Katie Aselton and Shepard are fantastic, both as lovers and as people going through a mighty big challenge together. Much of the dialogue in the first two acts plays through in a way that makes you wish it was your relationship - the two leads seeming so uniquely happy together at times that you get the feeling that Aselton took from her personal life for the script. Things change a bit in the third act, as they should. Things get, well, heavy.

Knowing that the writer/director, Aselton, is married to actor/writer/director Mark Duplass, I half expected the film to have a Mumblecore vibe. Not really the case. The cinematography is solid, if simple, the picture always looking big and bright and, at times, quite stylized. And sure, the writing and acting are great, but it's the combination of clever editing and the believable bond between the two leads that really make this thing work.

I don't want to give too much away. Go watch the movie ... it's streaming right now on Netflix and up for rent at your local video store. I'll be excited to see what Katie does next. I could see the coupling of this project and her role on "The League" getting her some rom-com roles alongside Paul Rudd or Seth Rogan or whoever. I hope she passes on those. I love to see a smart, talented female "make it" in any male-dominated industry. I think Katie has what it takes to have a solid career as a filmmaker, The Freebie standing as a very promising directorial debut.

Advertised as "A one night experiment in infidelity", The Freebie starts, progresses, and ends in such a strange independent state that when it's over you're like "what just happened?" It's a humble film that was released in September of 2010. If it hadn't been for the recently canned radio show DreX in the Morning, I probably would've never heard of this film. Good or bad I'm still debating.

The film is very "silent" if that makes any sense. The movie seems to be like a little kid daring to take his first step. He never really gets off his hands and knees and finally gets on his feet. He just crawls for a while hoping to gain some notice. No scenes in The Freebie stand out, and the dialog is the only thing this film has really going for it. It's a little dry, and very independently shot. But that's the rewarding part about this. Me and some other girl could've probably made this film. That makes it easy to relate to since the characters are very comparable. So this is definitely a step in the right direction.

Darren and Annie (Sheppard and Aselton) are a couple that is struggling to get the spice back into the relationship. To prove their still "cool" and "hip" both decide to give each other a night off of marriage, and have a rules free evening. Why couples are stupid enough to do that, no idea, but this means that both of them can do whatever they please as long as they go back to their marriage duty the next day. After a while, Darren makes note of Annie's awkward behavior, and her arrival at home at 6 AM. That's when they both figure out they've made a big mistake.

Like I said, The Freebie is as almost as if nothing happened. Even the fights both Sheppard and Aselton have aren't as entertaining as they could be. It is amusing seeing Dax in a straight edge, serious film role after watching something as farce as Without a Paddle, but there isn't a whole lot new or amusing. The effort is here, but the execution is very lukewarm.

One last random fact that I discovered is that Joshua Leonard of The Blair Witch Project actually makes an appearance in the film. I think I'd rather see him being hunted by an invisible urban legend than being the victim to a ho-hum rom com.

Starring: Dax Sheppard and Katie Astelon. Directed by: Katie Astelon.

This movie is advertised as a comedy but it's a drama in all aspects of the word. The way that it was shot reminded me of Eternal Sunshine with a less talented camera operator. A lot of the film looks like its done with a hand-held and there are some choppy edits.. but overall its a worth watching movie.

Some reviews on here say that the script is lacking and there is no point to it.. "a waste of time". It's not, it is a short movie that gives you a glimpse into their lives and the decision that they made.

The end leaves you questioning and lets you decide for yourself what to believe. Not everybody's cup of tea, but it's worth the 77 minutes..

Sometimes, or is it all the time, it seems like the people in charge of selling a movie are working directly in opposition to the original intents and artistic dreams of the actual creative people who make movies. I know that it's the job of distributors to get people to watch a movie they're putting out, I guess by any means necessary. But if they create an ad campaign, a movie poster, or DVD box art which is deliberately misleading as to the actual content of the movie, isn't that just going to either tick or turn people off? Seriously, if you create a sexy, silly cover for an ambitious, serious film, either you're going to a.)disappoint the people attracted to such a cover when they don't get what they were looking for or b.)keep people who would actually like such a film from ever renting it, or c.) both. For example, this film. I didn't watch it, and had no real interest in watching it, essentially based on the cover art and title. (I mean, sure, I was not exactly jazzed to check out the newest Dax Shepard vehicle either, but more on that later...) The title, the tagline, and the cutesy cover with stars Shepard and Katie Aselton all wrapped up in a blanket and giving us a comically-cute 'oops!' look makes it look like a lowbrow, cheesy romantic comedy, and the premise (unhappy couple decides to give each other the titular 'freebie' one-night stand with someone else apiece) is the stuff of lousy guy comedies (see last year's Hall Pass, etc.) But, since I had an undeniably-too-cool-not-to-tell reason to actually watch the thing (I got to interview star/director/writer Aselton) and I have to say The Freebie is really, really good. In addition to starring in this (and the very funny series 'The League'), Aselton is married to indie filmmaker (and co-father of the so-called 'mumblecore' movement) Mark Duplass, and in this, her directorial debut, she shows a real affinity for that genre's improvisational, conversational and emotionally-raw style, and creates a smart, legitimately moving examination of one couple's misguided attempt to sort out their relationship. Shepard and Aselton play Darren and Annie, a genuinely-happy, compulsively-honest couple who admit, one night, that their sex life has become routine. And so the 'one-night stand' plan. What's truly impressive is how organically the premise gets introduced; the two actors so ably create a very specifically-believable couple that you go along with their reasoning, even though you are pretty sure they're making a terrible mistake. That's a credit to the two actors, in more ways than one. I noticed that there are no writing credits listed for The Freebie on IMDb, and none in the movie itself, and Aselton confirmed to me on the phone (that's the last time I name drop, I promise), that, while she wrote her film's outline, the entire thing was improvised. And, while Aselton's background in the mumblecore genre, and the improv-heavy 'The League' reveals that she's got the chops for such an undertaking (and she is heartbreaking, winning, and lovely), the real revelation is Shepard. You might recognize him from comedies of such variable quality as Let's Go to Prison, Idiocracy, Without a Paddle, and Baby Mama, but absolutely nothing in his previous work suggested he could pull something like this off. As the two go through their painful journey into sexual adventurousness and, maybe, back again, the two actors make us care, and empathize, every step of the way, with Aselton's sure hand behind the camera providing sensitive, sure guidance. I popped this DVD in, honestly, out of a sense of obligation and, largely thanks to how it was marketed, absolutely no expectations whatsoever. I finished it with a continued respect for Aselton, a newfound one for Shepard, and a reaffirmed belief that movie marketing is headed up, by and large, by a team of trained chimps with cocaine habits. Ignore the cover, watch the movie.

I am surprised by the negative rating the movie got. I guess like in many cases it is not the fail of the movie but the fail of marketing it. Why is this movie labelled as comedy? Just because there are a few moments that make one smirk, it doesn't mean that this is a comedy! So you have people going for it expecting a lighthearted romcom or a raunchy sex comedy and they end up hating it.

The movie is not a comedy. It is a nice relationship drama that explores the problematic issue of allowed infidelity.Annie and Darren are in love and have a wonderful relationship, but their sex life seems to be dead. In order to get their thrill back, they allow each other to sleep with somebody else but it doesn't go as well as they thought.

I think the movie is very well done. Katie Aselton, who also plays Annie, made a great movie. There is an interesting realistic dialogue, high class acting and the emotions are captured very well and are felt by the viewer. When watching the beginning, I wished I had a relationship like this, and I am one of the people who is happily single and not looking. But the love, and comfort they had with each other was presented so well. Later one can feel their discomfort and insecurity and when they had their conflict I felt the pain for them and almost had tears in my eyes feeling their fear of the relationship being over.

As I said, acting was great. Both Katie Aselton and Dax Shepard did an amazing job. One can feel their actual emotions from their facial expressions and movement regardless of what is being said. Having seen Dax Sheppard in comedies before I was impressed by his ability in dramatic performance.

I won't tell what the end is. On one hand I was hoping for more, but at the same time it really brings one to thing and interpret it in different ways, which is a wonderful thing in a movie.

Yea.. has a few spoiler details..so maybe wanna read it after. The review numbers do not accurately reflect how good this film is.. for this is one of the best movies I've seen so far this year. At first I thought his persona and character did not work for me at all, but then I realized that might be exactly what she had been going for (hair constantly and annoyingly falling into the face and all). Too many films are labeled as 'master-works'.. probably wouldn't go that far in this instance, but for such a young talent she has created something very interesting, and it is exceptionally well done, and totally memorable.. with acting most assuredly award worthy. You will definitely watch it more than once.. and without doubt it goes into the 'movie library.' Her character goes out as planned, and does exactly what they agreed to do.. to seek out and engage in an unemotional one night sexual encounter. While his plots and schemes, and winds up having a quickie 'affair' (sex or not.. we're really not quite sure what happens with him that night). Then he most aggressively drags the guilty admission out of her (although it was something they both had agreed they were not going to talk about), and then with relish he proceeds to thoroughly crush her, with mean-spirited name calling and profanity. He proves how broken their relationship is with his hurtful tirade. Yea, it was a terrible idea from the get go (unless you just want to blow it up), but what he does, and how he reacts, proves totally who's the real 'loser' in this pairing... she stays with him she deserves what she gets. I cannot wait to see more of this girl's work... bravo Katie!!

I have seen this movie twice and liked it both times. It is a subtle movie that feels so real as we all probably have been confronted with these feelings in a long term relationship. It is a succinct little slice of reality...so much so that it really makes you think and perhaps feel a bit uneasy as you transport yourself into their reality. The acting was fantastic and very real. I was impressed by both lead actors. I only wish it lasted longer. I would classify this as a romantic drama, not a comedy. Glad to see Dad Shepard in a dramatic role. I think he shines in this arena. I would like to see more of him as his acting style is natural, which is nice to watch. Nonetheless, I think it is a must see, especially for couples.

The film stars Dax Shepard and Katie Aselton. She directed the film about a couple's decision to have a one-night stand outside the marriage.

Definitely a raw topic that merited being explored. it's good that a movie could hopefully save a few broken hearts. The movie carried an intensity that definitely holds your attention. during the Q&A I learned that it was mostly done extemporaneously, and I was very impressed. Fun way to make a movie. A notch above the field in quality.Really clever film. The script was fantastic, and the characters had great chemistry. If you are currently in a relationship, this movie will give you a good laugh. Definitely worth seeing.

As the director's first film, it can be considered an acceptable and average film. Katie Aselton, American director/actress, in her first film, it shows courage. Film shows a 30-year-old couple who have reached an impasse in their sexual relationship and are looking to break free from it. They use the worst method and in this disgusting way they get to trust and believe each other. Aselton's performance in the role of Annie is remarkable and the choice of the male actor for this role was also well done by the director. The film tries to approach realism in its structure, and the closer we get to the end of the film, the dullness of the film decreases. In general, the film does not grab the heart and the boldness of the director is its highlight.