The Pill 2011

Mindy, a young single woman living in New York City, meets Fred and invites him back to her place for a spontaneous evening. They dive into a charged connection, sparked in part by a playful game of Never Have I Ever during which Mindy’s drink deepens. When Fred goes to the bathroom and returns to find a full, used condom in the trash, guilt about his existing girlfriend surfaces and he begins to contemplate leaving. Mindy hints that her roommate’s boyfriend might be visiting, and what starts as a casual hookup spirals into a night of intense, impulsive sex.

At first, Fred struggles with timing. He takes too long to get the condom on, and Mindy falls asleep. She wakes at 4 a.m. and they resume, having unprotected sex. Mindy insists there’s no need for a condom, and Fred assumes she’s on the pill. The next day, Fred panics when he learns Mindy isn’t on the pill. He pushes for the morning-after pill, and Mindy, who is Catholic, reluctantly agrees. In the pharmacy, Mindy ends up taking the first pill, but Fred realizes the process will require two pills and races to catch up. He spends the day with Mindy to ensure she takes the second pill 12 hours later.

After breakfast, Mindy asks Fred to help retrieve the last of her things from her old apartment. There, he meets her ex, Jim, who pours out his heartbreak. Mindy explains that Jim felt suffocated and that she broke things off for his own good. When Fred suggests she might have given up on Jim too quickly, Mindy initially tells him to leave, but soon decides he was testing her. She invites him to a birthday party in the suburbs, and the two head off together.

At the party, Fred encounters Mindy’s family—parents and a brother—while Mindy’s younger, recently engaged sister is also present. Fred feels the pressure, but Mindy reassures him that he’s helping her by being there. Suddenly, Fred’s live-in girlfriend, Nelly, texts about her arrival. He rushes home to meet her, promises to return, but is met with scolding. Nelly is controlling and pushy, even insisting they get a cat despite Fred’s allergy. He slips away on a feigned errand and unexpectedly finds Mindy again.

The two share an evening of cooking and intimate connection. While Fred sleeps, Mindy discovers Nelly’s texts, takes the second pill, and ends things with Fred. On the drive home, Nelly’s pressure intensifies, and Fred finally breaks free from the relationship.

Five weeks pass, and the story closes with Mindy and Fred cross paths again. Fred has just finished a novel, and there appears to be a hopeful, if cautious, chance at starting anew between them. The film lingers on a sense of possibility, balancing humor with a realistic, grounded look at relationships, responsibility, and the awkward terrain of modern romance.