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Breakup Spiral Leads to Shocking Reveal in 'Basic' Film
16 Oct
Summary
- Award-winning 2020 short film 'Basic' adapted into new movie
- Follows Gloria and Nick's painful breakup and her discovery of his ex Kaylinn
- Stellar cast includes Ashley Park, Leighton Meester, and Taylor John Smith

In October 2025, the new film 'Basic' is set to premiere, based on director Chelsea Devantez's award-winning 2020 short film of the same name. The short film was a SXSW official selection and won Best Comedy at the HollyShorts Film Festival.
The feature-length 'Basic' follows Gloria (played by Ashley Park) and Nick (Taylor John Smith), a couple going through a painful breakup. As Gloria spirals through Nick's past dating history, she untangles his web of ex-girlfriends until she discovers the reason for all their issues: Kaylinn (Leighton Meester), the hottest and most 'basic' ex-girlfriend to ever exist. Kaylinn not only took Gloria's boyfriend, but is about to take her entire story from her as well.
The film is presented by a powerhouse team of production companies, including Marc Platt Productions, BuzzFeed Studios, and Fortitude International. Producer Marc Platt praised director Devantez's "sharply funny, fearless, and full of heart" vision that "brilliantly captures how we engage with, judge ourselves and others, and are consumed by social media."