Stream It Or Skip It: ‘For Jojo’ on Netflix, A Tender Movie About Best Friends Growing Apart

This German Netflix Original film comes from a female screenwriter and female director, and centers on the complicated relationship between two contemporary women. Does this German indie film have enough heart to entice viewers to click play?

FOR JOJO: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

The Gist: Best friends Paula (Caro Cult) and Jojo (Nina Gummich) have been inseparable since their childhood on a small island and continue to be everything to one another — though Paula is notably more reliant on Jojo than vice versa. When Jojo decides to go to Tulum for a job and comes back engaged and with a fiance in tow, Paula’s jealousy takes over and she does everything she can to stop the wedding from happening.

What Will It Remind You Of?: For Jojo is reminiscent of the central conflict in Frances Ha in which the main character feels dejected by a friend moving on by way of a new relationship. The only difference here is that Frances threw herself into her dance passion, while Paula is quite aimless in her pursuits.

Performance Worth Watching: Cult at the center of the frame is entirely magnetic, even as her actions range from infuriating to tear-jerking.

Memorable Dialogue: “Ever heard of boundaries?” Paula ironically says at an awkward brunch, as boundaries only seem to matter when she’s uncomfortable.

Sex and Skin: There is a decent amount of sex and nakedness, especially at the beginning of the film.

Our Take: The central relationship in the film is one of complications. We don’t really know why Paula and Jojo are best friends, we just know they are. And with that comes a dynamic that doesn’t always make sense, just as some old friendships in life don’t. Paula is needy and corrosive and often bends situations to her needs, while Jojo is calmer and independent and wants to have a life outside of this friendship. I immediately recognized the reverberations of their friendship because it’s similar to some in my own life, and I suspect many people will find themselves in both characters despite the flaws.

Cult’s performance is great and she manages to add depth to a character who could very easily be seen as a girl seeking attention and acting out immaturely. We get hints at Paula’s past struggles — whether it’s as she fails out of law school or that she doesn’t have an existing relationship with her parents — but nothing is ever painted black and white. She is aimless in a way that feels relatable, especially as her best friend seems to be moving into a different life phase and leaving her behind.

That’s not to say there won’t be moments of hating Paula; she oozes jealousy and is downright cruel at some points in the movie towards a friend that doesn’t deserve any of the backlash she’s receiving just for moving on with her life. But it’s a credit to the screenplay and to the performance that we still can empathize with her.

Our Call: STREAM IT. For Jojo is a tender indie about lifelong friendships.

Radhika Menon (@menonrad) is a TV-obsessed writer based in Los Angeles. Her work has appeared on Vulture, Teen Vogue, Paste Magazine, and more. At any given moment, she can ruminate at length over Friday Night Lights, the University of Michigan, and the perfect slice of pizza. You may call her Rad.