One star. Rated R, for drug use, sexual candor, brief violence and gore, and relentless profanity and vulgarity
By Derrick Bang • Originally published in The Davis Enterprise, 6.12.20
I cannot imagine this film’s target audience.
For starters, calling it a comedy is false advertising; nothing is funny here. Not even remotely amusing.
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| Scott (Pete Davidson) sees nothing wrong with staying home with his mother (Marisa Tomei) most nights, and watching mindless television. Alas, when this cozy dynamic is threatened by a newcomer, Scott becomes even meaner than usual. |
If writer/director Judd Apatow has made this for millennials, it’s a savagely damning portrait. Are we seriously to believe that anything about this misbegotten drama’s protagonist is endearing?
Even given Apatow’s decency-shredding tendencies, and fondness for vulgarity, The King of Staten Island is way, way beyond tolerable.
It’s available as an on-demand streaming rental, at a premium price.
At its core, the script — by Apatow, Dave Sirus and star Pete Davidson — is a redemption saga. Meaning, we spend the first two acts watching ruthlessly selfish, 24-year-old, weed-smoking degenerate Scott Carlin (Davidson) abuse everybody in his orbit … after which we’re supposed to cheer him on during the third act, when he starts getting his act together.
Sorry, but no; this formula works only if the character in question deserves redemption. Which Scott most certainly does not.
On top of which, the character dynamics here don’t exist in anything remotely approaching reality. While higher than a kite, and egged on by his “friends,” Scott starts to tattoo a 9-year-old boy … and he doesn’t get locked up for child abuse? Worse still, the boy’s father — following an initial furious tirade — quickly turns forgiving, because he wants to start dating Scott’s mother?!?
This is supposed to seem reasonable?
Not in this universe. This script — and premise — are forced contrivances stretched far beyond the snapping point.
Scott, a foul-mouthed Failure To Launch, still lives with his mother, Margie (Marisa Tomei, who does her best to bring some class and charm to these dire proceedings). Their lives have remained on hold ever since her husband, Scott’s father, died in action as a Staten Island fireman. Margie maintains a living room shrine to her late husband; Scott has weaponized his grief as an excuse to be nasty to everybody.
