Don't Tell Larry

Don't Tell Larry is a 2023 American dark comedy film written and directed by Greg Porper and John Schimke. The film stars Patty Guggenheim, Kiel Kennedy, Kenneth Mosley, Dot-Marie Jones, and Ed Begley Jr.

Don't Tell Larry
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Greg Porper John Schimke
Written by	Greg Porper John Schimke
Produced by	Greg Porper
Starring	Patty Guggenheim Kiel Kennedy Kenneth Mosley Dot-Marie Jones Ed Begley Jr.
Production company	Pro Key Entertainment
Distributed by	Level 33 Entertainment
Release dates	October 27, 2023 (2023-10-27) (Austin Film Festival)[1] June 20, 2025 (2025-06-20) (US)
Running time	95 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

Plot

After lying to her new eccentric coworker Larry about a company party, an ambitious promotion-seeking office worker must deal with the wildly unexpected consequences. As her white lie spirals out of control, suspicions of a mysterious workplace death surface, and Susan finds herself entangled in a chaotic cover-up that pushes her ambition and morality to the edge.

Cast

• Patty Guggenheim as Susan
• Kiel Kennedy as Larry
• Kenneth Mosley as Patrick
• Dot-Marie Jones as Detective Kim Hammer
• Ed Begley Jr. as Bruce Waters

Production

The film was shot in and around the Dallas/Fort Worth metro area, with scenes set in the Upper Midwest. Porper and Schimke scouted dozens of office buildings before selecting a vacant mid-rise in Hurst, Texas, formerly occupied by an architecture firm. The space had “disassembled cubicles, broken furniture, and a floor lined with decades-old binders and dot-matrix printers.” The filmmakers rented it for two months, spending nearly four weeks cleaning it out and converting it into a functioning film set.^[2]

The film began as a web series and was developed into a feature during the COVID-19 pandemic, partially funded by the filmmakers selling off personal assets.^[3]

Release

Don't Tell Larry had its world premiere at the 2023 Austin Film Festival,^[4] where its script had previously advanced to the Second Round in the 2020 competition.^[5] It was released in select theaters as part of a day/date release in the United States on June 20, 2025, by Level 33 Entertainment.^[3]

Reception

Writing for Film Threat, Sabina Dana Plasse called the film “a blast of fresh-air comedy” and described it as “loaded with laughs, gasps, and cringes.”^[6]

John Edward Betancourt of Nerds That Geek described the film as “a delightfully demented black comedy” and “a perfect comedy when all is said and done.”^[7]

Mike Patrick of Movie Jawn wrote that the film “brings a fresh perspective to the office comedy genre,” and includes “genuinely gripping moments.”^[8]

Luna Guthrie of Collider described it as “a workplace comedy that’s as bizarre as it is unpredictable,” while noting that “some pacing issues hold it back from hitting every mark.”^[9]