The Breaker Upperers

The Breaker Upperers features a distinctly New Zealand style of comedy: dry, awkward and utterly hilarious. But directors, writers and stars Jackie van Beek and Madeline Sami still give this film a wild energy that’s absolutely their own, with jokes that take the audience from giggles to cackles to all-out shrieks.

Most importantly of all: it’s funny. Really, really funny, consistently and constantly.

It’s a terrific showcase for the duo and their entire cast, which, besides a pop-up bit from Clement, is curated from a local talent pool that Hollywood has yet to spelunk. After this, it should.

The Breaker Upperers is a rude and rowdy Kiwi comedy about two friends who run a service that helps people get out of hard-to-end relationships.

A marvelously kooky, occasionally laugh-out-loud funny buddy comedy.

This collaboration between Jackie van Beek and Madeleine Sami — who wrote, directed and star together — exhibits their fairly irresistible comic chemistry, even if the conceit of the movie wears a bit thin.

The Breaker Upperers is Sami and Van Beek’s show through and through. The film coasts off the energy and rapport of this affable pair, whose smart-mouthed performances are full of pep and fizz. What they lack in wit they compensate for with sheer likability.

As much as this film is low budget and would go under the radar for the majority of movie lovers, it is a very successful comedy. This is an extremly easy watch, offering up an interesting concept but not being overburdoned by having one. It is light entertainment with a good script accompanied with solid deliverance of it.