Okay, _Showing Up_ is not a comedy, I repeat, not a comedy. This is a slow, quiet, indie drama.
I say that, however this is borderline pretentious art film.
I'm fighting the urge to be more harsh here, but the movie does nothing, goes nowhere, and ends with a feeling of "oh, is that it?"
What is there to like? Well, if you like A24, you probably know what to expect from an indie drama about artists. If that's the case, you shouldn't be surprised, but you'll likely be disappointed.
We follow Lizzy, a sculptor, as she prepares for her art show. We get to meet her follow artists, and her family. Trouble is, there's no story beyond that. The dialog adds nothing. People just show up and move around, but never really do anything. See, I never understand this about art films: you make colorful characters, flesh them out, yet fail to do anything with them.
There is also a parallel story going on with an injured pigeon. Is it metaphor? Maybe, maybe not. Yet another problem with art films: meaningful, meaningless? You can get away with anything if you never commit to intentional art.
All that being said, the movie is not bad, per se. It's worth a watch. The highlight for me was Lauren Lakis; she's only in three scenes, but wow, you give me a svelte, bespectacled, brunette, art chick, and you have my attention. I'd much rather watch a spin-off movie about her - only with an actual plot.