Riff Raff Movie Review

Riff Raff (2024)

Rent Riff Raff on Amazon Video (paid link)
Written by: John Pollono
Directed by: Dito Montiel
Starring: Jennifer Coolidge, Ed Harris, Gabrielle Union, Lewis Pullman, Bill Murray, Pete Davidson, Miles J. Harvey
Rated: R
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Plot
A former criminal's ordinary life is turned upside down when his old family shows up for a long-awaited reunion.

Verdict
This has a ton of potential, with both story and cast, but it just can't capitalize. The pacing is detrimental, delaying the big ending for much too long. We're too far into the movie until we even find out what's really happening. While there are plenty of hints, the first half of the movie is all misdirection. The ending is better, but unfortunately it keeps building until it eventually topples, stretching credibility.
Skip it.

Review
This starts with what feels like the openings to three different movies. There's Vince (Ed Harris) and some kind of home invasion, Rocco (Lewis Pullman) running away from something, and Lefty (Bill Murray) and Lonnie (Pete Davidson) upset about an event. It feels like these scenes are added for excitement. While it adds intrigue, it also is unnecessarily confusing.

Miles J. Harvey, Lewis Pullman, Ed Harris play DJ, Rocco, Vince

Rocco shows up at his estranged father Vince and his wife Sandy's vacation home one night. While he downplays the visit, it's clear Rocco is running from something and the pieces start coming together. He also brings his pregnant girlfriend and mother Ruth (Jennifer Coolidge), Vince's ex-wife. With all these people under one roof, you know there will be drama.

I guessed that Rocco either ripped off or stole from Lefty, but it's unclear. Either way Lefty and Lonnie are after Rocco. We see how ruthless Lefty is when he kills a store clerk. It's played as comedic, but it also belies his intentions for Rocco.

Miles J. Harvey, Gabrielle Union, Jennifer Coolidge, Lewis Pullman, Emanuela Postacchini, 
Bill Murray play DJ, Sandy, Ruth, Rocco, Marina, Lefty

This movie plays up the drama at Vince's house with everyone in one house that either don't know each other or are at odds. Despite how far we get into the movie, it's still unclear what exactly happened. Sometimes that works, but with this it feels like we're being strung along. No one has a goal yet. What's the plan? What we get is an awkward family reunion with more than a few secrets. We're well into the movie before what actually happened with Rocco is revealed. It's not too different from what I expected, but it's delayed for much too long. This had such promise, but it doesn't deliver.

Lefty and Lonnie go to Vince's house to find it empty. They break in, and helpful neighbors give them a lead and a snack. It's a fun scene, as the two try not to betray their true intentions. The movie should have provided more of this, and the scene should have been in the first quarter of the movie and not the last third. This feels like it wants to be No Country for Old Men or Fargo, but it spends too long burying the lede. Once we get to the crux of the matter, it becomes much more engaging though by then we're basically at the end. From there it builds this situation to such a point that is taken too far, completely breaking credibility.

This should have built the story earlier, that would provide motivation for everyone. Instead this delays that to make the crux of the story a finale. We're just treading water for most of the movie. While there is tension among the characters, there isn't a goal. It could have been Sandy pushing Vince to get Rocco out of the house, leading into Vince setting up how dangerous Lefty is. The reveal of Vince's past with Sandy is a bit over the top, but then this attempts something even more unbelievable.