The Big Sick
2017 · Directed by Michael Showalter
Original language: English
- comedy
- drama
- romance
The story
Pakistan-born comedian Kumail Nanjiani and grad student Emily Gardner fall in love but struggle as their cultures clash. When Emily contracts a mysterious illness, Kumail finds himself forced to face her feisty parents, his family's expectations, and his true feelings.
What it’s like
Warm, lived-in comedy with the feel of a crowded apartment and late-night diner booths: natural light through ordinary windows, handheld camerawork that stays close to faces during awkward silences, and Chicago and New York rendered in cool street-level daylight and soft hospital fluorescence. The palette leans toward muted browns and blues punctuated by warm kitchen tones, and the score is light and unobtrusive, mostly acoustic guitar and small piano figures that let the dialogue carry the scene. The vibe is wry, tender and quietly anxious, a sarcastic heart with real sadness underneath, and it suits a rainy Sunday, a comfort rewatch, or a night in with someone you can laugh with. Pacing is conversational and unhurried, built on banter that drifts into grief and back out again. Its central arc follows a young man slowly reckoning with his family's expectations and his own sense of who he is, while a relationship bends under strain. Language is frequent and some scenes are sexual but not explicit; a serious illness drives the middle, with hospital scenes that are tense rather than graphic, and violence is minimal. It is for people who want humour with emotional weight, a romance that refuses easy answers, and a grounded look at family, culture and belonging.
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