'Shortcomings' trailer is a compelling glimpse of a strong debut and a breakout performance

It's Randall Park's directorial debut, but you're going to be obsessed with Sherry Cola.
 By 
Caitlin Welsh
 on 
Two people, a man and a woman, sit across from one another at a diner table
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There's a quiet but strong buzz around Shortcomings, a film adaptation of Adrian Tomine's cult graphic novel of the same name directed by first-timer Randall Park. (If you somehow don't already know Park from Fresh off the Boat, the MCU, or Always Be My Maybe, "Asian Jim" might ring a bell). Park's assured debut is "a slice-of-life comedy that prefers understated, wince-worthy jokes to out-there laugh riots", says Mashable's Belen Edwards in her review.

Shortcomings is the story of Ben, "a jerk who won't acknowledge his flaws", as he struggles with his romantic relationships with the support of his equally messy best friend Alice (Sherry Cola). While praise for the film's performances, script, and direction have been solid across the board, it's Cola who's getting the most raves — and with her raunchy girls'-trip comedy Joy Ride out next month, she's shaping up to have a great summer. Even in Alice's brief appearances in the trailer above, she's clearly a star.

Shortcomings hits theaters Aug. 4.

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Caitlin Welsh

Caitlin is Mashable's Australian Editor. She has written for The Guardian, Junkee, and any number of plucky little music and culture publications that were run on the smell of an oily rag and have since been flushed off the Internet like a dead goldfish by their new owners. She also worked at Choice, Australia's consumer advocacy non-profit and magazine, and as such has surprisingly strong opinions about whitegoods. She enjoys big dumb action movies, big clever action movies, cult Canadian comedies set in small towns, Carly Rae Jepsen, The Replacements, smoky mezcal, revenge bedtime procrastination, and being left the hell alone when she's reading.


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