WME Independent

Idiots (2026): A Balanced, Over the Top, Sometimes Crude Road Film

Posted on by Jack Drees

“Idiots” is directed by Macon Blair (Green Room, The Toxic Avenger) and stars Dave Franco (Neighbors, Together), O’Shea Jackson Jr. (Ingrid Goes West, Straight Outta Compton), Mason Thames (Regretting You, The Black Phone), Kiernan Shipka (Mad Men, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina), Nicholas Braun (Succession, Saturday Night), and Peter Dinklage (Pixels, Avengers: Infinity War). This film is about two people who hit their lowest low and are tasked with transporting a troubled teen to rehab.

It’s funny how much marketing can do to sell you on a movie. I had no idea “Idiots” existed prior to the time I saw “Tony” in theaters, as it wound up being one of the later trailers that played. When it comes to trailers for comedies, “Idiots” is one of the best I can remember seeing. It gives a basic idea of the wild premise and vibe, but did not give too much away. It seemed to have enough gags to keep me laughing, but when it comes to the story, I wanted to know more. Plus, who doesn’t love an unhinged Dave Franco?

Some of you might be asking, does the movie reveal all the funny parts in the trailers? I would not say so. It hides quite a bit. I have seen multiple trailers and I found them all entertaining. Thankfully, the movie is just as solid.

“Idiots” is one of those movies that is not going to wind up winning any awards, but it is one that is effective in its goals. Not only did the film make me laugh, but it also delivers a little bit more. Likable characters. Good performances. An occasional sick action scene or two. Oddball concepts for scenes that end up working. The film has a clear idea of what it wants to be. It has the somewhat laid back vibe of a hangout film like “The Big Lebowski” and packs in a fun road adventure like “The Blues Brothers.” Mix in some hyped-up lines, a little blood, and some dark comedy, you have a recipe for a fun time.

What really makes this film sing is the main trio. You have Mark (Franco), Davis (Jackson Jr.), and Sheridan (Thames). Each actor plays fantastically off each other. It is also easy to root for Mark and Davis in particular as they try to keep Sheridan under control. The film shows Mark and Davis dealing with their personal work struggles, and almost from the getgo, the two have to work together to get a young man who comes from a well-off family from point A to point B.

Part of me imagines another reality where this grouping could have gone very wrong, because a couple of these characters are lunatics. Nothing ruins a road trip movie more than obnoxiously annoying characters. Not only are they likely annoyed by each other, but that annoyance is shared through the audience.

When it comes to the film’s display of lunacy, it is particularly notable with Mark and Sheridan. There is one scene early on in the film where Mark, who is transporting Sheridan to a wellness center because of his problems, is saluting him for some of his out there activities. Yet somehow this film not only works because of these three people, but it is almost hard for me to imagine almost anyone else in their shoes. Each character has a standout scene and the film channels each one of the actors’ comedic strengths.

I sometimes talk about cliches or familiar concepts in movies, and how despite those things being common, they can work if done right. When it comes to comedy, I am sure everyone has heard the “your mum” or “your momma” joke. This movie proves that the “momma” joke is an oldie but a goodie. There is a fantastic scene between Davis and a hotel employee involving the “your momma” cliche that goes in a direction that I could have never anticipated. As the scene goes on, I am laughing less because of the joke, but rather because of its repercussions, which were well written and timed.

“Idiots” is one of those oddball comedies that finds a perfect balance in its tone. It often comes close to getting serious, but never pulls the trigger and goes all the way. Throughout the story, despite it dealing with someone who has some serious issues, it is never completely heartfelt. But I refuse to think that is what Macon Blair was going for. This particular work feels like it was secretly helmed by Quentin Tarantino or the Coen Brothers. While the camerawork and overall look of the film may not entirely match their styles, Blair’s commitment to hard action and snappy moments certainly do. The more I think about it, such a comparison makes sense, as one of Blair’s most recent projects was “Brothers.” He wrote the film’s screenplay while Etan Coen had a “story by” credit. Maybe working with Coen inspired Blair with realizing his future material.

The film becomes rather twisted by its conclusion. Not just because of the crazy scenarios in which the characters find themselves, but the film makes time around acts two and three to introduce a set of new characters who perfectly match, again, the film’s uniquely balanced tone. I have no idea how well this film would play as an animation, but some of the acting in this film is quite over the top. Never once is it annoying, in fact, the cartoony nature plays well into some of these characters’ personalities, and their makeup and costumes match those personalities for a bonus.

I imagine myself looking back at “Idiots” a few years from now and thinking to myself that I had quite a few laughs. There were a few other people in my theater who wound laughing with me. Am I going to remember the film as a whole as those next few years pass? I could try, but maybe not. It almost suffers from tonal inconsistency, but it is just balanced enough to the point where the ship never sinks. While, again, the film is not likely going to win any awards, it is nevertheless clever in its delivery and makes the most of its comedic leads.

In the end, “Idiots” is a good time. It is a wild adventure that is engagingly smart as it is entertainingly dumb. The film is a successful balancing act. It has big names, but an intimate vibe. It has a grounded script that is not afraid to occasionally go over the top. One of my favorite film genres is comedy, and this film brings the funny. I needed a good comedy after seeing whatever “Spa Weekend” was. I am glad I saw “Idiots,” and I am going to give it a 7/10.

“Idiots” is now available to rent or buy on VOD.

Thanks for reading this review! I am happy to announce that my next episode of Movie Requests is going to be available Monday September 28th, and it is going to feature Rosario Dawson! You may know Dawson from movies like “Clerks II,” “Top Five,” “The LEGO Batman Movie,” and “Sin City.” She is also the star of the Disney+ original series “Ahsoka,” whose second season is on its way. The episode will be available here on Scene Before, but please subscribe to my YouTube channel if you want to see the video before anyone else!

And while you are at it, check out the previous episode of Movie Requests, which features actress Melissa Barrera. Give it a watch to see what I thought about her suggestion, “Roma.”

My next review is going to be for “Don’t Move.” Stay tuned! Also coming soon, I will be sharing my thoughts on “The Uprising” and “Forgotten Island.” If you want to see these reviews and more from Scene Before, follow the blog either with an email or WordPress account! Also, check out the official Facebook page! I want to know, did you see “Idiots?” What did you think about it? Or, what is your favorite comedy you have seen this year? Let me know down below! Scene Before is your click to the flicks!

Monkey Man (2024): Not Quite Bananas Enough for This Guy

Posted on by Jack Drees

“Monkey Man” is directed by Dev Patel (Slumdog Millionaire, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel) who also stars in the film as Kid. The film’s cast also features Sharlto Copley (Hardcore Henry, Maleficent), Pitobash (I Am Kalam, Shor in the City), Vipin Sharma (Taare Zameen Par, Paatal Lok), Sikander Kher (Woodstock Villa, Players), Adithi Kalkunte (Mumbai Diaries, Hotel Mumbai), Sobhita Dhulipala (Made in Heaven, The Night Manger), Ashwini Kalsekar (Jodha Akbar, Kasamh Se), Makarand Deshpande (Dandupalya, Hanan), Jatin Malik, and Zakir Hussain (Heat and Dust, Saaz). This film is about a man who tries to achieve revenge against corrupt leaders who killed his mother and continue to victimize people beneath them.

I first heard about “Monkey Man” just a couple months before its release. What made me really excited for this film is the people behind it. I cannot pretend I know every single name attached to this film, including the incredibly stacked cast I just mentioned in the beginning. But I have a soft spot for Dev Patel as a performer. One of my favorite films of the late 2000s is “Slumdog Millionaire,” where he plays the gripping lead role of Jamal. I believed every second of his performance. I think he is a remarkable talent. Behind the scenes, I did not know what to expect, but I know Patel has plenty of experience in the industry in general, so maybe that could translate to a solid directorial effort with this movie. Prior to releasing this film, he directed two shorts, neither of which I have seen, making “Monkey Man” his feature-length debut. We all have to start somewhere, so maybe I could trust Patel.

That said, I know one guy who probably does trust Patel, and that is none other than “Get Out” director Jordan Peele. The film was originally slated to release on Netflix. But with Peele’s motivation to promote the film and put it under his Monkeypaw Productions label, the film ended up going to theaters. Was the switch worth it? Judging by this movie’s wild action scenes, admirable setpieces, and compelling drama, I would say to some degree you could say it was. But I also feel like there is something missing.

I am not going to lie, this movie bored me in the first half. It took me forever to become totally engaged with what I was watching, which sucks because I like Dev Patel as the lead role and he is clearly pouring his heart and soul into this project. Said heart and soul is most certainly shown in the film’s latter half, which I found more exciting. This movie does have some hypnotizing fight scenes. There is one action sequence in a kitchen that is just as riveting as the trailer promised. And it is held together beautifully by Patel’s sensation of a lead performance. I have not seen all of his work, but this makes me want to go back and watch more of it. His portrayal of Kid very much delivers an attractive roughness to it that feels akin to listening to a hard rock or heavy metal song.

I am not going to pretend every action scene was a standout, but in terms of immersion, the movie sometimes does a good job at putting you in the middle of everything. And I say that despite this movie’s use of shaky cam, which I can find to be a bit of a gimmick. When it comes to my action movies, I will usually prefer them to have more still shots like in “John Wick,” but this movie’s use of shaky was honestly not the worst I have seen. Again, going back to the scene in the kitchen, I honestly felt like I was watching something out of “Tenet,” but with a different kind of intensity. I was waiting for Dev Patel to say “I ordered my hot sauce an hour ago.”

“Monkey Man” is one of the harder movies I had to judge. Partially because I am not of the majority when it comes to my opinion. Both the critic and audience scores are sitting in the 80s on Rotten Tomatoes as of writing this. I am not saying the movie is outright horrible, but the best phrase that I can use to describe this movie is that it is “beautifully forgettable.” The camerawork is not perfect, but a lot of the scenery pops. The shot of Dev Patel inside the open elevator is going to continue to be ingrained in my memory for some time. The color grading is splendidly rugged. The action definitely has its moments. Every actor comes off as if they are giving a hundred and ten percent. Dev Patel is clearly firing on all cylinders in front of and behind the camera. Having seen his efforts here, I hope he continues directing. I also hope he continues writing. Is this the best start for Patel? I would not say that. But his style and approach to filmmaking is one I would like to continue to explore should he decide to helm another project in the future.

In a world of sequels, reboots, and remakes, it is nice to see movies like this where people have a singular vision. Granted, I am not denying there are lots of original movies being made. But even with that in mind, it is cool to see something like this on the big screen. Even if there are familiar elements or beats that I recognize from other movies, the way some of those elements are handled here feel unique to some degree.

While this movie has its differences from “John Wick,” most notably the way action scenes are shot, there are some similarities to point out as well. Both films are quite violent. This movie takes it up to an 11 sometimes. But one of the problems I have with “John Wick” is that sometimes the plot takes a bit of a backseat. I feel the same can be said for “Monkey Man,” which has a good idea for a story, and there are parts of it I liked. At the same time, if that first half were just slightly more interesting, maybe this movie would earn a better score. I did not find myself clicking with every character or situation in the way I wanted to. When I look at “Monkey Man,” I seem to carry a deeper fascination with the lore as opposed to the story itself if that makes any sense. But for me, I am probably looking for a little bit more to satisfy my appetite than what I got here.

In the end, “Monkey Man” is not a movie I would watch a second time. It is not even one I particularly would give a thumbs up to. But weirdly enough, I am glad I saw it simply because I think Dev Patel has potential as a feature film director. There are parts of this movie that work. If you are looking for good action scenes and that is all you want, then maybe this would be a movie for you. But for whatever reason, it was not for me. My one hope is that if Dev Patel has a writing credit next time around, which in this case he shares with a couple other people, it is for a script that is more engaging than what we got here. That said, having seen this movie, I can say that if I read some of these ideas on paper, I would be sold in an instant. But I think when it comes to bringing those ideas to the screen, that is a different story. Maybe I would watch it again as background noise. Maybe I’ll look up one of the action scenes on YouTube. But I cannot say I am going to actively seek this movie to watch on a Friday night when I have nothing else to do. I am going to give “Monkey Man” a 5/10.

“Monkey Man” is now playing in theaters. It is also available to rent or buy on VOD.

Thanks for reading this review! My next review is going to be for the brand new horror movie “Abigail.” I have been DYING to talk about this flick for a long time. I saw it last month, and could not stop thinking about it since. Look forward to my thoughts coming soon. If you want to see this and more from Scene Before, follow the blog either with an email or WordPress account! Also, check out the official Facebook page! I want to know, did you see “Monkey Man?” What did you think about it? Or, what is your favorite Dev Patel performance? Let me know down below! Scene Before is your click to the flicks!