“Nude Tuesday” (2022) is a comedy film from New Zealand directed by Armagan Ballantyne. The film is unique in that it features characters speaking in a completely improvised, gibberish-esque language, with subtitles provided by contributing writers after the film’s release (IMDb).
The story follows a suburban couple, Bruno and Laura, who are struggling to save their marriage. They decide to attend a new-age retreat, hoping to rekindle their relationship. The retreat, led by a guru named Bjorg Rassmussen, promises to help couples find their way back to each other through various unconventional and often humorous methods. The path to reconnection for Bruno and Laura is riddled with both hilarity and humiliation as they navigate the odd and embarrassing situations they find themselves in (The Guardian).
The film’s title, “Nude Tuesday,” is derived from one of the activities at the retreat where participants are encouraged to shed their clothes and inhibitions. The concept of “Nude Tuesday” becomes a metaphor for the characters exposing their true selves and vulnerabilities to each other (The Spinoff).
As the couple goes through the retreat’s various exercises, they must confront the issues in their marriage and decide whether their relationship is worth saving. The film aims to explore themes of love, communication, and the absurdity of the lengths people will go to in the pursuit of happiness.
“Nude Tuesday” has been noted for its offbeat humor and the challenge it presents to the audience by using a made-up language, requiring viewers to engage with the film through the subtitles provided by various writers, including British comedian Julia Davis (Variety).