7 Days

Roshan Sethi's 2021 American film opens with a meeting arranged by families in the Indian tradition and continues with two strangers shut in the same house by pandemic restrictions. Ravi follows the rules to the letter; Rita never believed in the arrangement, and both are hiding it. The film has two people and one location; dialogue and performance carry everything. The rapport between Karan Soni and Geraldine Viswanathan works. What makes it interesting is beginning as comedy and turning unexpectedly heavy in the middle without losing its tone. It plainly was made during the pandemic, and the technical constraints show at times. Who it's for: viewers who like American independent comedy and two-hander chamber stories. Who it's not for: anyone wanting a wider story, or avoiding pandemic-themed films.