Authentic relationships shine in “Threesomething”

One night, three friends — Charlie, Isaac and Zoe — agree to have a threesome. However, the decision affects them all in different ways after the fact. Two fall in love; two test their limits. All three arrive at a more honest friendship.

Written by Morosini and fellow alumnus, producer and co-star Sam Sonenshine, “Threesomething,” which was released Tuesday, began as a passion project. Yet, the friendship-driven film saw an official selection at the Cinequest Film Festival, as well as a teaser that went viral with eight million views.

Already a well-known name in the industry, Morosini previously starred in multiple seasons of “American Horror Story,” “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” after graduating from USC’s School of Cinematic Arts. His co-star, Sam Sonenshine, also had multiple acting credits to his name, including the television series “Switched at Birth.”

Prior to the film’s conception, Morosini and Sonenshine took to the drawing board, discussing the feasibility of their ideas and reviewing logistics and resources.  Soon after, the two filmmakers brought in their friend, actress Isabelle Chester, who plays Zoe in the movie. The trio thought about where they all were in their lives and how they could incorporate it into their film, thus landing upon the core narrative of “Threesomething.”

Morosini and Sonenshine as male directors developed much of the storyline through their discussions with Chester because they wanted to integrate the female perspective into the story.

“Involving actors in crafting the story is somewhat unconventional but added so much and was one of my favorite parts of the process,” Morosini said.

Not only did Morosini seek narrative advice from his actors, but he also encouraged them to improvise, drawing upon Lynn Shelton and Joe Swanberg’s works for inspiration. Morosini said these directors were critical in helping him conceive “Threesomething,” as he wished to capture the same authenticity and realism that Shelton and Swanberg demonstrated in films like “Laggies” and “Drinking Buddies.”

He also explained why the film’s low budget was an important component of his vision.

“We were making a small rom-com, where the value exists in its authenticity, so spending money on a massive crew was obviously not in our interest,” Morosini said.

The pair also emphasized the importance of shooting for extra days to perfect the scenes rather than having fewer days with more elaborate setpieces and big-name talent. Overall, the film took only 20 days to shoot, with some pickups and reshoots.

“[On a bigger set] there are hundreds of people involved, whereas on something like ‘Threesomething,’ there’s five people,” Morosini said. “Someone can have an idea, and you can change gears quickly to explore it and […] capture lightning in a bottle.”

Morosini’s amenable mentality was reflected in the film’s depiction of love and marriage. For instance, the director veered away from the typical scripted setting of movies and vouched for having the characters talk in real time, including colloquial elements like pauses and stutters.

“What was important to us was capturing the basic messiness of human expression and interaction, and its misinterpretations and sloppiness,” Morosoni said. “We all want to sound smart and feel special. We stop being who we are by trying to be who we think we should be. And I think for many people, including myself, nothing brings this up more than sex.”

The pair tried to portray marriage in a similar manner, as “Threesomething” presents the phenomenon in ways that would typically be deemed unconventional. Morosini mentioned that most people only have a loose understanding of the fact that the film is supposed to be based off what they’ve heard from movies, television or stories.

“They want so badly to be in the moment and feel the grandiosity of a moment like marriage, that they’re making all these arbitrary decisions manufacturing excitement and big feelings,” said Morosini.

While this was a loose framework for the movie’s message, Sonenshine expressed how he cares more about people having a good time watching the movie instead of fully understanding the movie’s themes.

“In terms of spectacle and big setpieces, hopefully people watching ‘Threesomething’  feel like they saw an emotional spectacle,” Sonenshine said, “or [that] they see certain moments and say, ‘That’s an emotional set piece’”

Audience members now have a chance to watch the movie, which is available for streaming on most major services like iTunes, Google Play, Amazon, and Vudu.

The School of Cinematic Arts will also hold a special screening of the film in the Ray Stark Family Theatre on Thursday.