The indie dark comedy Loves Company arrives with a mix of satire and slapstick, led by Rachel Dratch and Jack Plotnick. Written and directed by artist-turned-filmmaker Jason Laurits, the film centers on the collision between a declining celebrity and an obsessed admirer in a swampy Florida setting. Festival audiences first saw the movie at a summer festival in 2026 and the picture went on to play additional screenings before a planned digital rollout. Alongside the film’s narrative, the production attracted attention for its local shoots and notable festival itinerary, and it combines offbeat humor with sharper satire about media, fame and the dynamics of idol worship.
Storyline and principal cast
Loves Company follows Blake de Troy (Jack Plotnick), a game-show regular whose star has dimmed, and Antoinette Funk (Rachel Dratch), a lonely fan who believes the show gives her and her ailing father a shared joy. The script turns the old warning “never meet your idols” on its head by exploring what happens when a celebrity becomes the target of misplaced devotion. The film supports its leads with performances from Sarah Baker, Dustin Ingram, Bryan Batt, and Rex Wheeler, among others. The plot tiptoes into the territory of captivity narratives but retools those beats into a darkly comic, satirical exploration of ego, exploitation and the public spectacle of private collapse.
Production: locations, crew and creative roots
Jason Laurits, known primarily for his visual art and the retail brand Paste, makes his feature directorial debut with this project. The production took advantage of Louisiana incentives and staged much of its swamp work in and around St. Bernard Parish, while using a Mid-City soundstage and locations in Algiers. Cinematography was handled by Joshua J. Bagnall, with a score by Ronen Landa, and the film was produced by Glue Productions with Joshua J. Bagnall and Laurits as producers. Laurits has said he leaned into broad, unapologetic comedy influenced by off-kilter comedies of previous decades, deliberately resisting the contemporary tilt toward dramedy and awards-minded tonal restraint.
Festival screenings and local premieres
The film first screened at a Los Angeles–based festival in 2026 and later booked appearances on the festival circuit before securing further distribution. In New Orleans, Loves Company held local screenings as part of the city’s film festival, with the director and cast scheduled to appear for Q&A sessions on October 24 and October 27 at Uptown and Mid-City venues respectively. These appearances emphasized the film’s ties to the region, both through production activity and Laurits’ personal relocation; he opened a larger Paste shop in New Orleans and has established creative roots in the city.
Distribution plans and public release
Following its festival run, the film secured a release plan that includes a digital and on-demand debut. The distributor set a November 10, 2026 launch on VOD, positioning the title for home viewers and streaming audiences rather than a wide theatrical rollout. The release strategy backs the film’s indie sensibility and allows a broader audience to discover the satire on demand. In promotional materials, the trailer framed the movie as a comedic riff on works that dramatize fandom extremes, though Laurits stresses the film’s intent is to provoke laughter first and foremost rather than preach a single moral.
Tone, influences and creative intent
Laurits has described his aim as making an unapologetic comedy that embraces silliness and farce. He cites influences ranging from campy television personalities to dark ensemble comedies of earlier eras, and he intentionally satirizes both celebrity tropes and fan culture. The film uses the archetype of the fading panelist—a televised stereotype built for easy jokes—and places him in situations that expose vanity, insecurity and the transactional nature of modern publicity. At its core, Loves Company balances cringe-driven humor with a sympathetic look at loneliness, allowing Dratch’s warmth and Plotnick’s vanity to play off each other in scenes that swing from awkward to unexpectedly affecting.
For viewers interested in seeing the film, tickets for the New Orleans festival screenings were available through the festival’s channels, and the wider public can access the film on demand starting November 10, 2026. The film’s social presence and official channels also share trailer clips and screening updates for those tracking the film’s path beyond festivals.
