Go through the massive list of stars that appear in Joe Swanberg’s Digging for Fire and it might be easy to claim that one of the most prolific names in modern indie has “gone mainstream.” But actually watch Digging for Fire (or Happy Christmas or Drinking Buddies), and it’s clear that the mainstream has actually come knocking on Swanberg’s door. This is the same low-key, character-based storytelling Swanberg has been honing for years, only now with a plethora of talent and established names thrown into the mix. And, if anything, Digging for Fire shows Swanberg as a filmmaker in total control, using his ensemble and skills at creating a casual, inviting tone to make a subtle and fascinating exploration of commitment, aging and marriage.

Taking place in Los Angeles, the film opens with married couple Lee (Rosemarie Dewitt) and Tim (Jake Johnson, who co-wrote with Swanberg) taking their son Jude (Swanberg’s own son, stealing every scene he’s in) to house-sit for one of Lee’s wealthy clients. While Lee goes off working as a yoga instructor, Tim—a public school teacher—stays at home during the summer break. Soon after arriving, Tim starts poking around the house and discovers a bone and an old gun buried in a yard behind the house. Tim wants to keep digging, but Lee doesn’t want him messing up her client’s property, and a host of other small disagreements between the two (including Tim’s refusal to put Jude in a private school) leads to Lee taking Jude to spend the weekend with her parents (Sam Elliott and Judith Light).

Tim takes the opportunity to invite some of his old buddies over (Sam Rockwell, Chris Messina, Mike Birbiglia and Kent Osborne, to name a few), and before long he’s convincing all of them to help dig up whatever else might be hiding underneath the property. At this point the film forks off into two narrative strands, one profiling Tim’s weekend with his friends, and the other following Lee trying to have a girl’s night out with her sister (Melanie Lynskey). Both Lee and Tim wind up finding themselves conflicted when they each encounter an opportunity to cheat; Lee meets a British restaurant owner (Orlando Bloom), and Tim makes nice with the young, carefree Max (Brie Larson).

Anyone familiar with Swanberg’s previous work won’t be surprised to learn the film’s central mystery is a nonstarter. It’s more of an excuse for getting characters together to casually chat about the themes Swanberg and Johnson really want to explore. “When did you feel like you got back to yourself?” Lee asks her mom at one point, wondering if marriage and motherhood have removed her ability to live her own life, and Tim admits to Max that he feels like he’s not maturing, he’s just getting older. Their brief exchanges with friends, family and strangers around them reveal that both Lee and Max have hesitations about staying in for the long haul of their marriage, with the hypothetical idea of something “better” existing out there tempting them into seeking individuality over partnership.

What makes Digging for Fire such an enjoyable yet fleeting experience is how Swanberg lets these ideas flow organically into the film through his terrific cast and tight editing. Narrative doesn’t mean much here, as it’s more about how Lee and Tim’s actions reflect their concerns. Dewitt and Johnson anchor the film nicely, and there isn’t a single weak spot in a cast that’s as sprawling as LA itself. Shooting on 35mm with cinematographer Ben Richardson (who also shot Drinking Buddies and, most famously, Beasts of the Southern Wild), the film’s keen eye for composition helps give it a cinematic feel that comes across as a surprise given its dialogue-heavy approach. Swanberg has made films for over a decade now, and at a pretty quick pace too (remember when he directed six films in 2011?), but in some ways Digging for Fire feels like the start of a newer, more refined era for him. It’s exciting to watch Swanberg in complete domination of his craft, but it’ll be more exciting to see what he does next.

Fresh off the heels of its world début at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival, The Orchard has acquired Joe Swanberg’s latest, Digging for Fire, for its North American release.

Digging for Fire looks to continue Swanberg’s recent trend of higher profile films with more notable casts. The film stars Swanberg vets Jake Johnson, Anna Kendrick and Melanie Lynskey, as well as Rosemary DeWitt, Orlando Bloom, Sam Rockwell, Brie Larson and Mike Birbiglia. The film follows the discovery of a bone and a gun which sends a husband and wife—each full of doubts about their future and anxiety about the present—on separate adventures over the course of a weekend.

The Orchard is a music, video and film distribution company, founded in 1997. It previously released 2015 horror film Preservation and the upcoming documentary Point and Shoot, which has found acclaim on the festival circuit.

The release strategy and date is not immediately known.

Sleepwalk With Me is an indie comedy that is based on writer-director Mike Birbiglia’s one-man standup show. Similarities can be instantly drawn to Woody Allen (in his Annie Hall days) as Birbiglia speaks to the camera about his failing relationship and struggles of being a comedian. Just like his standup, the film is honest, charming and entertaining. Sleepwalk With Me is one of the best comedies of the year.

Matt Pandamiglio (Mike Birbiglia) has been together with his high school sweetheart Abby (Lauren Ambrose) now for eight years. Until now their relationship has been steady but slow moving. That all changed when they decide to go apartment shopping together but even more so when with the whole family gets together for his sister’s wedding. Suddenly Aunts and Uncles awkwardly pronounce that he will now the next to get married. Speaking from personal experience, it happens just as depicted in the film.

Matt is a thirty-something aspiring comedian who suffers from Rapid Eye Movement Behavior Disorder, a rare disease that causes one to physically act out their dreams. He begins to notice that everyone around him thinks that the best part about his life is his girlfriend which is a wakeup call for him that he needs to follow his dreams of being a comedian. This motivation is exactly what he needed, however, at the same time he is pursuing his dream he notices that he is growing further and further away from Abby (with no help from his family).

Matt works at a comedy club but spends most of his time behind the counter as a bartender instead of behind the mic. One day he runs into a manager that gives him his first gig as a standup comedian at a nearby University. His expectations were low but not as low as only getting a handful of students in a huge college auditorium. Even with a less than ideal first show he is pumped for his next opportunity which is another small gig a few hours away. You can tell that he is extremely happy to finally begin to do something he has always wanted, even if he is starting from the absolute bottom of the pole.

Sleepwalk With Me is not terribly unique but somehow it is incredibly entertaining and easy to watch. This is likely because Mike Birbiglia is a very sympathetic and likeable character with his down-to-earth humor. Being that he is a comedian means that he is naturally funny at therefore does not have to act like his is one. In return, that is precisely what makes his character so genuine.

The best part about Sleepwalk With Me is not that it is funny, which it is, but that it does not play it too safe, which would have easily done. The film is fully self-aware as Birbiglia breaks through the “forth wall” speaking directly to the camera about his mishaps. From the beginning you get a sense that the film is honest (reinforced with a hilarious mockery bit when people ask him “Is that really a true story?”) and that is exactly how it plays out. Comedians are not always funny, relationships are not always fairy tales and we often put off doing things we know we should do. That is what the film is about.

Comedian Mike Birbiglia writes, directs, and stars in Sleepwalk With Me, a film which is based on a true story about stand-up comedy. The film has made some big festival appearances which included the 2012 Sundance Film Festival where it won the Best of Next! Award. The trailer made it’s online debut today and from the looks of it, Sleepwalk With Me could be a self-aware indie comedy worth watching.

Based his book of the same name, Sleepwalk With Me stars Mike Birbiglia who plays himself, a struggling stand-up comedian who starts having bad episodes of sleepwalking. His main source of income is from bartender and his relationship with his girlfriend for eight years seems to be heading nowhere. Along the way are some actual experiences that Mike went through in life.

Sleepwalk With Me is in theaters on August 24, 2012.

Watch the official trailer for Sleepwalk With Me: