Cooper Raiff gets the party started in the trailer for Cha Cha Real Smooth starring Dakota Johnson

The Sundance hit also stars Leslie Mann and Brad Garrett

Cooper Raiff gets the party started in the trailer for Cha Cha Real Smooth starring Dakota Johnson
Dakota Johnson in Cha Cha Real Smooth Screenshot: Apple TV+/Youtube

Cooper Raiff’s coming-of-age feature Cha Cha Real Smooth made waves at Sundance Film Festival, where it was the biggest sale of the event. Apple TV+ scooped up Raiff’s sophomore feature for a slick $15 million earlier this year, and has shared the official trailer ahead of its streaming debut.

In addition to writing and directing the feature, Raiff stars in Cha Cha Real Smooth as 22-year-old Andrew, a recent college grad who works at bar and bat mitzvahs as a “party starter” for groups of tweens. It’s at one of these party that he meets Domino (Johnson) and her daughter Lola (Vanessa Burghardt), who has autism. Andrew cultivates a bond with Lola and takes on the job of babysitting the anti-social teen. He also becomes smitten with Domino, despite her being engaged. From there, Andrew faces some hard lessons about love and adulthood.

Cha Cha Real Smooth also stars Leslie Mann, Brad Garrett, Evan Assante, Raul Castillo, and Colton Osorio. Johnson is also attached to the feature as a producer.

In The A.V. Club’s review of Cha Cha Real Smooth, A.A. Dowd writes:

Raiff is an ace at writing naturalistic screwball banter, and a supremely likable leading man: extroverted but self-deprecating, his default impulse to enthusiastically validate people colliding sometimes with his inability to resist a caustic quip. (The character’s interactions with Brad Garrett, who he exclusively refers to as “Stepdad Greg,” are gut-busting.) It’s not easy to develop a comic voice that feels entirely singular, but Raiff pulls it off here. And for better or worse, the whole movie is built atop his gregarious shtick, a fruitful blend of emotional openness and emotional immaturity.

Cha Cha Real Smooth will receive a limited theatrical release in addition to streaming on Apple TV+ starting June 17.

 
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