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Written by: Judd Apatow & Pete Davidson & Dave Sirus (written by)
Directed by: Judd Apatow
Starring: Pete Davidson, Bel Powley, Ricky Velez, Marisa Tomei, Bill Burr, Steve Buscemi
Rated: R
Watch the trailer
Plot
Scott has been a case of arrested development since his firefighter dad died. He spends his days smoking weed and dreaming of being a tattoo artist until events force him to grapple with his grief and take his first steps forward in life.
Verdict
There's so many things this does well with natural dialog, avoiding tropes, and creating something that feels real. There are a few scenes where I wish the movie wouldn't play so goofy, going too far just to avoid something typical. Those heartfelt typical moments have a place too. Davidson does a great job though he's basically playing himself. I like the sentiment of this movie, but that gets lost in the length. This spends a lot of time setting up Davidson's character to the point of excess. I'd like this more if it were closer to one hundred minutes. By the time the movie gets to the main plot of the story I had started wondering if there was a main point.
It depends.
Review
Scott (Pete Davidson) uses weed and dark humor to cope with depression. He spends all day at home and never started life. Scott has a very sardonic sense of humor, and everything stems from losing his fire fighter father when Scott was seven. This is a character study.
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| Pete Davidson and Bill Burr play Scott and Ray. |
The dialog feels natural, from Scott hanging out with his friends to the arguments with his mother. Wild moments are frequent like when Scott begins to tattoo a little kid. It's crazy, but it doesn't break the realism.
Scott is initially happy for his mom when she announces a new boyfriend, Ray, until Scott realizes the boyfriend is a firefighter like his dad. The movie sets up a lot of character building moments for Scott, but it gets long. We rather quickly understand Scott, and I began wondering when he would pivot. There's a scene when he's roped into walking Ray's kids to school The teacher coerces Scott into washing paint brushes. I thought with Scott being an artist, that would be the pivot. It isn't and I like that this movie tries to avoid typical moments, but I kept wishing the movie would go somewhere. Eventually it does when Scott is kicked out of the house and has to take on actual responsibility. He learns about life and his dad.
The turning point is too long in coming. Scott and Ray begin to bond after Scott's mom gets mad at both of them.. The movie squanders an opportunity to have a nice moment when Ray agrees to get a back tattoo from Scott. Multiple scenes show Scott working on the tattoo. I was expecting a heartfelt reveal of an amazing tattoo. This movie has avoided all of the typical tropes, but it's a miss that it turns what could be a nice moment into more goofiness. I get that this movie doesn't want to fall into trope territory, but sometimes tropes have a place too. The movie is building on the idea that Scott is finally dealing with his grief and feelings. The tattoo reveal seems like a step backward.
This is too long. It spends a lot of time characterizing Scott, but it's not providing any new insight. This feels personal, and Davidson has stated it's semi-autobiographical. Davidson does a nice job, but it's made easier in that he's play a version of himself which is a perfect role. The setup certainly provides a lot of humor, but it begins to sprawl so much that I began to wonder if there would be a turning point. I wasn't hoping for a happily ever after ending, just some nice moments that show Scott is adjusting. We do get that, but there's also misdirection when muddles his progression.
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