Brief Interviews with Hideous Men is a 2009 American comedy-drama film directed by John Krasinski and based on a novel by David Foster Wallace. The film follows the story of Sara Quinn, a doctoral candidate in anthropology, who gets dumped by her boyfriend without any explanation. Devastated and confused, she sets out to explore the world of masculine behavior by conducting interviews with a series of men who range from charming to repulsive.
As she delves deeper into their experiences, she discovers some of the disturbing and often violent attitudes that the male interviewees hold towards women. The interviews are interspersed with scenes from Sara's own past relationships, adding a personal touch to the film's exploration of gender dynamics.
The film's star-studded cast includes John Krasinski, Julianne Nicholson, Dominic Cooper, Timothy Hutton, Ben Shenkman, and Bobby Cannavale among others. Brief Interviews with Hideous Men was praised for its inventive direction, sharp dialogue, and powerful performances, particularly from Nicholson, who embodies Sara's emotional journey with subtlety and nuance.