Idiots is an easily recognisable comedy, one that stays within the familiar guidelines and stereotypes drawn up over many a road-trip stoner flick. The key point of difference here is that we’re working with the sensibilities of director and writer Macon Blair, whose brand of dark comedy and offbeat genre leanings were previously seen with 2017’s I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore and 2023’s appropriately insane take on The Toxic Avenger. You can also draw parallels with his work with Jeremy Saulnier (Blue Ruin, Green Room).
The result is a mixed bag of a film, an occasionally awkward and inconsistent ride of tropes and absurdity blended with indie drama and pulpy leanings. There is consistency with the three leads, however, who are decent as the three titular idiots (this world does introduce quite a few, though). Dave Franco and O’Shea Jackson Jr. have some nice chemistry as a mismatched, down-on-their-luck pair who find themselves transporting trouble-making rich teen Sheridan to rehab. And Mason Thames, as Sheridan, brings a welcome level of unpredictability to the role.
There is sporadic enjoyment to be had with the scruffy abandon that Blair and co. at least appear to have with this tale. The aim is clearly to deliver on the wild comedy front, and there are more than a few moments that should deliver a few guffaws through gross-out humour and over-the-top bizarreness; toilet, drug and crime gags are the order of the day here. And while there are some admittedly amusing moments, there’s a dryness to much of the film and its approach that holds back the laughs and characters from really hitting home.
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Our three leads are placed on redemption and purpose-finding-style trajectories that feel somewhat superfluous as the scenarios stack up. Franco and Jackson Jr. do provide the film with characters that feel almost fleshed out, but there’s only so much they can really do with all the bickering and fish-out-of-water craziness, particularly when much of what happens seems largely inconsequential. The overall cast here do deserve props for going all-in with the mayhem, with Peter Dinklage and Nicholas Braun among those having a good time in their unhinged roles. Braun, in particular, is bonkers.
Perhaps this review is sounding a little too disappointed. The truth is that Idiots is not a bad comedy; it’s a bit of a strange and uneven one. There are some funny moments and there’s a game cast that seem to be enjoying themselves, but colliding tones and stop-start pacing make it a bumpy road trip.
