Despite a title that sounds like something from the porn genre, 2017’s Ingrid Goes West offers a darkly comedic commentary on the nature of social media fame. Ingrid Thorburn (Aubrey Plaza) spends much of her time on Instagram and becomes obsessed with some of the “stars” she sees there.

When Ingrid focuses on social media celebrity Taylor Sloane (Elizabeth Olsen), she decides to take this fascination to another level. Ingrid moves out to LA and tries to make herself Taylor’s best friend, a choice that comes with various repercussions.

Maybe I’m just too damned old, but I admit the concept of the “Instagram star” perplexes me. Basically these folks gain celebrity because they look good in pictures at the local farmer’s market?

While I may not understand the appeal, I do get that the concept has become a big deal to millions, and West effectively depicts the dangers. When we constantly see these curated “perfect lives” online, we feel inferior by comparison and that can cause issues.

Of course, West takes this to an extreme, as few seem likely to follow Ingrid’s unhinged model. Still, we get a cautionary tale – albeit one that doesn’t go into tragic mode.

Essentially a more comedic 21st century take on Single White Female, West benefits from a sense of subtlety, as it comes with many characters and subjects that could easily veer into broad parody. As it stands, the movie clearly mocks the vapidity of the “Instagram star” and others like Taylor’s “struggling artist” husband (Wyatt Russell) – complete with “man bun”!

A lesser film would turn these roles into nothing more than cheap stereotypes and play them for easy laughs, but West musters more depth than that. While it pokes fun at all involved, it doesn’t do so in a gratuitous manner, so we invest in the characters despite their easily-mockable traits.

I really like this choice, as it gives West an uneasy vibe, one that Plaza grabs onto and executes well. She excels here, as she makes Ingrid disturbing and troubled but with just enough appeal to allow us to see why she’d be able to get close to Taylor and others.

Her fellow actors follow suit and deliver fine performances across the board. Olsen allows for Taylor’s inherent shallowness to come through but she adds a layer of humanity, and the rest bring nuance to their parts as well. They help keep a potentially ludicrous tale grounded.

Again, the film’s understated tone helps as well. While this might be an update on the well-worn “psycho stalker” genre, West doesn’t down the expected horror movie path – it brings out some sense of menace and threat but avoids the cheap “thriller” trappings that could make it less engaging.

I do think West loses some steam as it goes, and its ironic ending seems a bit trite, but these become minor complaints. Thanks to subtle execution and a fine cast, the movie usually succeeds.

Ingrid Goes West appears in an aspect ratio of approximately 2.39:1 on this Blu-ray Disc. This was a perfectly competent presentation.

Overall sharpness seemed good, though some iffy shots appeared, mainly during interiors. Nonetheless, the movie usually offered appropriate delineation and accuracy.

The movie lacked any signs of shimmering or jaggies, and it also failed to display edge haloes. Print flaws didn’t impact the image.

Colors went with a pretty standard orange and teal, though the movie kept these tints restrained. Within the cinematic intentions, the hues came across as well-rendered.

Blacks looked fairly deep and dense, and shadows were decent, though low-light shots could be a bit thick. I thought the image worked well as a whole.

A character-oriented piece, West lacked a lot of ambition but the soundscape worked fine for the narrative. Music used the various channels in an involving way at times, while effects remained more subdued.

This meant a low-key soundfield without a lot to stand out as memorable. Some scenes – like at a party – used the track well enough, but this remained a dialogue-heavy mix.

Audio quality satisfied, with music that seemed warm and rich. Speech came across as concise and natural, without edginess or other issues.

As noted, effects didn’t have much to do, but they seemed accurate and distinctive. This turned into a mix that suited the material.

A few extras pop up here, and we open with an audio commentary from director/co-writer Matt Spicer, co-writer David Branson Smith and producer/actor Aubrey Plaza. All three sit together for a running, screen-specific look at story/characters, sets and locations, cast and performances, music, editing/deleted scenes and related topics.

Overall, this becomes a decent chat. It lacks great insight into the movie and feels more like three pals shooting the breeze at times, but it adds enough useful material to merit a listen.

Three Deleted Scenes fill a total of eight minutes, 12 seconds. We find “Ingrid Approaches Taylor” (2:25), “Naked Nicky” (1:12) and “Table Read” (4:35).

The first two extend/alter existing scenes in moderately interesting ways, while “Read” lets us hear a little of Dan’s Batman script. All three merit a look.

We can watch these with or without commentary from Spicer, Smith and Plaza. They tell us a bit about the scenes and why they cut them. Their remarks add some value.

The disc opens with ads for Colossal and Beach Rats. We also get four Trailers for West.

A dark comedy related to the perils of social media, Ingrid Goes West mostly works well. While it fades a little as it goes, it largely acts as a compelling character piece. The Blu-ray brings us generally positive picture and audio with a few supplements. A good update on the stalker motif, West brings a winning experience.