Review: I Used to Go Here (2020), a Disjointed Trip Down Memory Lane

I Used to Go Here perfectly captures the small peculiarities of college life and the nostalgia of returning to one’s alma mater; unfortunately, uninspired characterization and unrelated subplots keep the film from hitting its mark.

Based on my travels, I can say that the American college atmosphere is something that has not been captured anywhere else in the world. It’s something completely unique to the United States and is very difficult to describe to someone who hasn’t attended some form of college in the U.S. Sure, you have all the lectures, textbooks, and the usual workload; but you also have campus life, fraternities, “party culture,” and competitive sports — all of which turn the entire experience into a kind of carnival. 

However, when you go back to your college campus after being gone for a while, it can be a surreal experience. You suddenly feel old and out of touch with everyone around you. While some of your favorite things have stayed the same, many have changed. It’s like a weird, mirky reflection of a world you once knew and loved. 

This is, to one degree or another, the feeling underlying Kris Swanberg’s I Used to Go Here (2020). It captures this atmosphere perfectly; you can see the idealistic students enjoying the best time of their lives (even though they may not realize it yet), while also seeing the bitter-sweet nostalgia of an alumnus coming back to visit. In this sense, I Used to Go Here excels. I felt as if I were revisiting my own college years while watching it. Unfortunately, the film quickly unravels because it simply doesn’t have a good enough plot to match its nostalgic vibe.

You can see the idealistic students enjoying the best time of their lives, while also seeing the bitter-sweet nostalgia of an alumni coming back to visit.

The film revolves around a newly-published author, Kate (Gillian Jacobs), who returns to her alma mater to make a speech at the request of the school. Kate meets up with her former creative writing professor, David (Jemaine Clement), who appears overjoyed at her return. We soon discover that the two have a questionable romantic history, something that neither party is eager to bring up. 

As Kate settles into her temporary housing, she discovers that the house she used to live in sits right across the street. She quickly makes friends with the male students living there. Just as it was in her day, the house functions as a kind of party pad and creative space for student writers. 

The film sidelines the plot surrounding her speech as Kate becomes entangled in the dramas of her new friends. Though she is initially indifferent to their difficulties, she becomes increasingly invested when it appears that David may have found a new “protigee” in one of his top writing students. As Kate tries to wrap her head around her new friends and the skeletons in her own closet, she also tries to make peace with the fact that she may not be the great American author that she always dreamed of becoming.

The film sidelines the plot surrounding her speech as Kate becomes entangled in the dramas of her new friends.

If you feel as though I glossed over much of the plot, you’re right. Once Kate arrives on campus, the relatively straightforward story of a self-effacing writer delivering a speech at her former college turns into a complete mess. Rather than leaning into the dramatic elements of the story and playing with the psychology of nostalgia, it reaches for jokes that never really deliver.

For example, the college decides to put Kate up in a local bed and breakfast. Naturally, it happens to be located across the street from her old stomping grounds. To crank up the comedy, the proprieter of the bed and breakfast is not a fan of Kate. Much like a nerdy freshman, Kate has to wear her room key on a lanyerd around her neck. As you can imagine, bad comedy ensues.

To make matters worse, I Used to Go Here does a very poor job of making us care about any of the tertiary characters. Kate is the center of the story, which would be fine, but we are made to see the world from her perspective. Thus, we examine the things and people around her just as she does. Soon, her plot feels so trivial that the filmmakers replace it with a myriad of subplots. Unfortunately, none of those subplots involve people who we have any reason to root for or against. 

To make matters worse, I Used to Go Here does a very poor job of making us care about any of the tertiary characters.

One of the guys living across the street has girlfriend problems, while another finds himself attracted to his best friend’s mom. Also, there’s a perky, energetic man who drives Kate around everywhere and even takes part in her late-night spying operation with the rest of the gang. Again, bad comedy ensues.

To be completely frank, I chose to watch this film because I’m a fan of both Gillian Jacobs and Jemaine Clement. Jacobs plays a variation of her standard character. She is the quirky, cynical young woman who is plagued by imposter syndrome (fans of Community or Love will notice the similarities). Alternatively, Clement does a lackluster job as the womanizing professor. His characterization is peculiar because he is clearly in the wrong, but we are never really compelled to make him face any consequences. I think Jemaine Clement is just not that good at being the bad guy.

In closing, Kris Swanberg’s I Used to Go Here (2020) functions as a nostalgic trip down memory lane for anyone familiar with American campus life. However, once you move beyond the relatable atmosphere, none of the other pieces work well together. The writing is shallow, the jokes are mediocre at best, and the plot goes off in too many uninteresting directions. This is the kind of film that you’ll likely watch and, in a few years, completely forget — much like that one friend you made freshman year.

I Used to Go Here (2020) Movie Rating: ★★ out of 5

If you’d like to watch I Used to Go Here (2020), the film is currently available to stream, rent, or purchase via Amazon. For more film reviews like this one, be sure to check out the Philosophy in Film homepage!