What should Kimmy do next? That question, put directly to the audience, is the engine of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs. the Reverend, a 2020 American comedy directed by Claire Scanlon with Ellie Kemper in the lead.

What is Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs. the Reverend about?

Kimmy has become a famous author, and a wedding to a prince is only days away. Then she finds out that the Reverend has an evil scheme under way, and stopping him has to come before the ceremony. Her pursuit runs across three states and takes in explosions and some thoroughly soggy hamburgers. The story was written as a choose-the-path comedy, so at important moments the decision about Kimmy's next step is handed to the viewer, and the adventure is framed as a chain of choices more than a single straight road. Everything is squeezed into 71 minutes, which keeps the pace quick from the first scene.

About the cast

Ellie Kemper heads the cast list, followed by Jane Krakowski, Tituss Burgess, Carol Kane, Daniel Radcliffe, Jon Hamm, Lauren Adams and Sara Chase. It is an ensemble built for comedy, and the film gives its performers a string of quick, broad set pieces to play. Claire Scanlon is the credited director.

Context & significance

As the full title signals, this feature carries the Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt name and puts its heroine up against the Reverend, the figure named in the subtitle. It is a 2020 release from the United States, and its genre label is simply comedy. What sets it apart from most films of its length is the invitation built into the premise: the audience is addressed as a participant and asked to steer. That device has a long history in adventure books for young readers, and comedy turns out to be a natural home for it, because a wrong choice can be played as a joke as easily as a setback. The short running time also suits the format, since a story built on forks in the road benefits from moving fast between them.

Watching Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs. the Reverend on Ktime

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs. the Reverend is in the K-Time catalogue. This page is free to read, and playback needs a K-Time account login. K-Time is a Persian-focused streaming service for the Iranian diaspora, with a Farsi interface for browsing and search.