Traditionally, the Jewish tradition of Shiva is a moment of collective religious mourning, bringing family and friends together to pay the deceased’s family condolences. It can also be a rather awkward gathering. You have to show respect inside a home you might not have often visited while not appearing completely interested in the nearby food, besides trying to remember names of various guests you’ve likely forgotten.

Shiva Baby, the directorial debut of Emma Seligman, takes this setting and dials up the awkwardness to 11 for expert comedic effect, creating a treacherous maze of anxiety, infidelity, and preconceived expectations placed upon a young Jewish, bisexual woman. High on pathos but extremely potent on Jewish humor and cringey moments, it’s an undisputed standout movie of 2021 for certain.

After meeting Danielle (Rachel Sennott) in the middle of sex with her sugar daddy, Max (Danny Deferrari), we then follow her arriving at the house where a family shiva is being held. Right from the start things are awkward. Danielle must dissuade attention away from an expensive bracelet she received from Max, get stories straight with her parents—hardnosed Debbie (Polly Draper) and cheerful but slightly absentminded Joel (Fred Melamed)—about job searches in case anyone asks, and recall who it is she’s even supposed to be mourning. There’s also the matter of explaining her college major, which Danielle haphazardly describes as media-based with a feminist edge. Cut to Debbie similarly trying to wave away her daughter’s disinterest in law school or graduate school to the gossiping crowd.

It doesn’t help that the two people Danielle actually recognizes only make matters more uncomfortable. The first is her ex-girlfriend Maya (Molly Gordon), whose familiarity with the deceased and success getting into law school make her seem like the one with a better grasp on life compared to Danielle, who’s still living off her parent’s money. The other guest is none other than Max, who, as it turns out, is actually a family man. Mind you, this revelation occurs as Danielle’s parents attempt to pry out a job opening from Max’s shiksa wife, Kim (Dianna Agron), after she unexpectedly arrives at the shiva with her baby, all completely oblivious to Max and Danielle’s behind-the-scenes intimacy.

Calling Shiva Baby a case of genre-bending might be a stretch, but it’s not unwarranted either. Much of the humor comes from moments of uncomfortable tension, be it Danielle trying to present herself as career-oriented to guests or avoiding interactions with Max in fear of someone exposing their connection. These actions imply a desire to gain control of a setting where she feels metaphorically and physically boxed in, with Seligman increasing the claustrophobia by squeezing Sennott in between actors or using extreme close-ups that leave her with little wiggle room. Add in a Psycho-inspired screeching violins score and you have a mini horror-thriller lurking underneath the comedy, gradually overwhelming us as the conversations and close encounters pile up in real time.

Sennott’s performance is equally crucial to the film’s success. Danielle is endearing in spite of, or perhaps because of, her numerous faults and selfish quirks. From both a millennial and Jewish perspective, she’s stuck performing as someone who promotes herself as a model of success, even though it’s clear she’s leaving college more confused than ever and lacking in self-starting opportunities.

This conflicted performance truly shines during Danielle’s funniest interactions with her concerned but overbearing Jewish mother, who constantly prods her daughter to spill what’s on her mind while making the situation far worse. She’s gung-ho on finding her daughter professional advantages but talks out both sides of her mouth when it comes to romantic pairings, all while dismissing the entrepreneurial success of Max’s wife because she’s not originally Jewish. The more these contradicting pressures interweave, the harder Danielle’s insecurities are to hide, a sensation that, regardless of religion or sexuality, we’ve all experienced at one point.

Turning a student film into a feature-length project is a daunting task, yet Emma Seligman not only pulls it off at age 25 but creates something worthy of mainstream accolades right out of the gate. Shiva Baby blends laughs and trepidations without ever veering into clichés and utilizes its brief 77-minute running time to make its character moments complement an atmosphere wrought with the tension of dozens of Jewish family reunions. If this is what Seligman can accomplish with a single oppressive location, then her future filmography, including the announcement of an upcoming comedy Bottoms starring Sennott, is worth anticipating.