Two strangers, Olivia (Mary Neely) and Amir (Kareem Rahma), show up at the same Brooklyn apartment to collect cash they’re both owed. Forced to spend the day together on a journey through New York City, the pair reveal intimate details about their lives. The duo are stuck together on the subway, eating lunch, walking through Central Park, and bonding over disagreements about sex, dating, religion and death. One of them also happens to be hiding a harrowing secret.
In “Or Something,” I’m not quite sure what exactly is going on at first but it turns out to be a frolicking ride and a slight meeting of the minds for two strangers.
The woman needs money for her cat’s kidney surgery, and the man needs money to bail his brother out of jail.
They go on an adventure in the subway in New York to borrow money from a mutual friend. However, the mutual friend sends them from Brooklyn to see Uptown Mike, who isn’t at home.
The friend, Teddy, says that Mike owes him money, which after an hour of adventure that brings Olivia and Rahma together—whether they are enjoying the day or not—turns out to not be true.
Uptown Mike is exactly who I would picture, a big burly guy hoisting a baseball bat and declaring that Teddy owes him money and not the other way around.
Afterward, the trio proceeds to hunt down Teddy, who is holding a stack of money and is forced to pay up. The mystery is solved, but on her way home, Olivia presents another quandary.
“Or Something” stars Kareem Rahma as Amir, and he is best known for his viral Subway Takes videos, informal interviews conducted on New York City subway trains, but the “Poker Face” actor is now fictionalizing his MetroCard adventures for the big screen with this indie film.
Rahma co-writes and co-stars alongside fellow writer/actor Mary Neely in a contemporary take on “Before Sunrise.”
Look for “Or Something” in theaters across the country.