There appears to be an intrigue into the mechanics of stand up comedy of late, getting behind the facade and studiously exploring the performer away from the stage. From Chris Rock’s Top Five, to Stewart Lee’s bestselling novel How I Escaped my Certain Fate, to the forthcoming British feature, The Comedian’s Guide to Survival. Rick Alverson’s latest endeavour, the dark and deranged Entertainment follows on that very trend, as we peer into the hapless existence of an ageing, unpopular comedian.

The stand up comic is played by Gregg Turkington, attempting to revive his dwindling career with a series of live shows in the Mojave desert, alongside fellow struggler Eddie (Tye Sheridan). Taking a personal offence at being booed off stage, it would seem that even praise cuts deep, as the comedian struggles to find any semblance of contentment in his life, as he seeks in travelling to his estranged daughter. His persona is that of a man with overly gelled hair, swept over to the side, wearing a tuxedo with three glasses of alcohol tucked underneath his free arm, who revels in the more outrageous, vulgar one-liners, which baffles his cousin John (John C. Reilly) who he stays with for a short while. Though offered the chance to stay longer, the comic insists on travelling from motel to sofa, drinking his way to oblivion.

We all have people like the protagonist in our lives. Weird blokes that you see approaching you at a social event, only for your stomach to drop as you frantically search your brain for excuses you’ll need to leave, trying to remember which you haven’t used before, all the while fearing an unbearably long, tedious conversation. Turkington is playing that very person, so by default, when watching this movie it effectively means you’re spending a lot of time in the company of somebody you really would rather avoid. You’re volunteering, you’re paying, to do something you usually despise. Good luck.

Though that’s entirely the point and we’re supposed to feel uncomfortable in this man’s presence, the lack of endearment towards him does prove to be detrimental to our enjoyment. You pity him, but he has so much contempt for the world, and when people attempt to be friendly and polite, he refuses to meet anybody halfway – and you will struggle to root for his cause. This is emblematic of what is a bleak, grim piece of cinema. Not all films can be light, undemanding comedies, and it takes an accomplished filmmaker to craft a feature that is such a challenge to sit through, and in that regard, Entertainment can be deemed a riotous success. But at the same time it makes for such a disquieting viewing experience, it’s rather difficult to earnestly recommend to anyone, knowing they’d have to go through what you have – and it’s not exactly pleasant.

So if you ever wanted an example of not judging a book by its cover, here it is. You wouldn’t be blamed for expecting something a little lighter when learning of a film whereby the premise centres on a stand up comedian, starring John C. Reilly, Michael Cera and Tim Heidecker, but this is by no means a comedy. In fact, there’s even more of a deafening silence amongst the audience than from those who go to see of of the protagonist’s shows. Probably the most ironic title of a movie since Adam Sandler starred in Funny People.