I am a die-hard Dan Levy supporter. Ever since I first heard his sassy, sarcastic quips in “Schitt’s Creek,” I’ve been hooked. When I glimpsed the trailer for “Good Grief,” of course, I made plans to watch it. I knew very little about the movie but was excited to go in blind.

When Marc’s husband unexpectedly dies, Marc, played by Dan Levy himself, and his two best friends, played by Ruth Negga and Himesh Patel, embark on an indulgent trip to Paris to confront hard truths. Marc confronts the grieving of his late husband by addressing some of his own issues, as do his friends, and learning to cope with the cyclical nature of grief itself. 

Dan Levy plays pretty much the same character in everything — sensitive, dramatic, often selfish, creative, both self-indulgent and self-deprecating, full of emotion but not ready to express it. Marc is no exception, but Levy’s dedication to this type of character, especially functioning as the protagonist, is something I not only admire but have come to expect when I see him credited. 

Still, “Good Grief” is a complete 180 from his appearance as Benjamin in “The Idol.” Although his role in “The Idol” was very minor, the overall tone of the pieces is wildly different. “Good Grief” also varies wildly from “Schitt’s Creek,” which Levy starred in and wrote for. 

“Good Grief” is hard to accurately sum up. It’s ritzy, melancholic, just pretentious enough — maybe it’s just Parisian. The visuals of the movie create a beautiful setting for the heavier tones of the movie. Honestly, the characters and cinematography save “Good Grief” from feeling like an aimlessly boring movie your parents watch. The plot feels achingly slow and disjointed at times, but I think this drives the message home. 

“Good Grief” offers an interesting perspective on non-monogamy. Although Marc and his husband agreed to an open marriage, Marc never felt truly happy with the arrangement — “I agreed to an open marriage out of fear, not trust,” Marc reveals in the film.

This detail is something I wasn’t expecting but am not surprised to see come from Levy. He does a great job of incorporating a lot of social activism into his work, even in things as simple as creating a movie that both involves gay men and lacks homophobia or writing David Rose in “Schitt’s Creek” as pansexual.

I think “Good Grief” provides a refreshing look at forgiveness as something that cannot be easily defined in black-and-white terms. While Marc discovers more boundaries crossed and rules broken by his late husband, he also discovers more about himself and the depths of his love. “I can feel myself choosing anger to distract from how much I miss him,” he says at one point, which was a notable mark in his character’s development. 

I really appreciate the surge of movies involving gay people where the characters can just exist as people. In the same way the LGBTQ+ community deserves more light-hearted young adult content like “Heartstopper,” the LGBTQ+ community has a right to artsy films with loose plots, too. 

To accompany a melancholic mood, “Good Grief” packs a beautiful soundtrack, featuring stunners like Billy Idol’s “Eyes Without a Face” and Neil Young’s “Only Love Can Break Your Heart.” 

“Good Grief” is a good watch if you like movies centered around characters, not action or a fast-moving plot. It features a ton of tiny, charming details, things like Marc’s wardrobe becoming more and more colorful as he learns to live with his grief and returns to creating art, a practice he had long since abandoned. 

Filled with charming and memorable dialogue throughout, the film ends in a heartfelt conversation, dropping the line, “To avoid sadness is also to avoid love.” The final scene is an art show of Marc’s work in a reclamation of his creativity and love — for himself, his friends, his husband and life. Paired with a classic lopsided smirk-smile from Levy, “Good Grief” has a satisfying ending to wrap up the story. 

Although it’s definitely not the most engaging story-wise, “Good Grief” is well-executed and a feast for the eyes. I would recommend it to anyone who wishes “Schitt’s Creek” would’ve gone on for 20 more seasons or someone looking for a slow-moving film.