In a day and age where we are all self-obsessed, especially with social media running rampant in society, sometimes it’s necessary to reflect. That’s what director Mike White enables you to do with Brad’s Status.

Brad Sloan is your regular, hard working, upper-middle class guy experiencing a midlife crisis. He went to Tufts University, a very reputable school, but after college it seems like everyone except him became ridiculously successful. For example, one of his friends, Craig Fisher, is a best-selling author who’s always on TV and volunteers lectures at Harvard. Billy Wearslter is a tech guru who retired at 40 when he sold his company for an absurd amount of money to live on the beach with two models. Brad becomes extremely worried about his seemingly mundane life, and feels as though he’s failed. His change of heart comes around when he hears that his son, Troy Sloan, has a good chance of being accepted to Harvard. He becomes blinded by hope and does everything he can to establish connections to make sure Troy is accepted. This results in a journey of rekindling college friendships which eventually allows him to realize that some of his friends aren’t nearly as happy as he’d thought. Brad cares so much about everybody else’s opinion, but the only person that really cares about him is his son. In the end, he has to question whether he has failed, or is really the most successful of all his peers.

This drama film can’t be commended for special effects, explosions, or jump scares. It’s a wholesome movie about familial relationships, and it is worth every penny spent. Each character’s acting was impeccable and White did a great job in developing the characters so that viewers could really get into their mindsets, an important aspect to this emotional movie. Ben Stiller as Brad Sloan is one of his best acting performances in recent memory. The role fits his usual act of a self-centered, frustrated man so it likely came very naturally to the award-winning actor. The movie is not necessarily easy to watch, however. It requires a certain maturity level to sit through.

Brad’s Status is an incredible exploration and resolution of envy, so if you’re ready to relax and really make an attempt to reflect for an hour and forty-one minutes, pick up a ticket at your local theater.