The King Of Staten Island (2020)

By: Mike Ward on Thursday, June 11

R Running Time: 136 mins

SHOULD I SEE IT?

YES

Pete Davidson is the real deal.
Fans of Judd Apatow’s serio-comedies will likely appreciate this more than most. Through Davidson he has a willing vessel to try and find the humor present within serious topics and situations.
Has the potential to be a movie people circle back to again and again, if it finds a big audience on VOD, and Davidson’s stardom accelerates.

NO

The film is too long for what it is. At 136 minutes, this feels like several half-starts to an episodic television series and Apatow, Davidson, and co-writer Dave Sirus put way too much “stuff” into one feature film.
A misstep for Judd Apatow. Though he often runs long with his films, The King of Staten Island seems to never find its rhythm. Underwritten characters, predictable arcs and unnecessary repetition, another trip or two through the editing bay might feels advisable.
There’s a lot to like here and I may grow to appreciate it more over time. However, even with some of the pieces in place: The King of Staten Island should simply be a better movie.

OUR REVIEW

The pairing of Judd Apatow and the self-deprecating, shoegazing comedian Pete Davidson seems like a natural fit. Apatow has long mired himself in writing, directing, and producing serious-minded comedies about likable characters (mostly men) who seem just slightly unable to fit in. Davidson celebrates and embraces his awkwardness, as well as his struggles with self-esteem and depression - also someone who hesitates to join in.

The King of Staten Island, directed by Apatow and co-written by Apatow, Davidson, and Dave Sirus, represents a fictionalized account of Davidson’s life, the comedian starring as a 20-something trying to find meaning and purpose in the world.

In real life, Davidson’s father, a New York City firefighter, died during 9/11, when Pete was seven years old, after rushing into a hotel before it collapsed. Through his comedy, monologues, and interviews, and appearances as a cast member of “Saturday Night Live,” he has spoken openly and honestly about the impact his father’s passing has had on him.

In the film, Davidson portrays Scott, also dealing with the long-simmering aftermath of his firefighter father’s death, here from a house fire, when he was seven years of age. Now 24, Scott lives at home with mother Margie (Marisa Tomei), hanging with friends, smoking weed, aimless in life.

Davidson’s very real trepidations and insecurities creep into every frame of the film’s overlong and episodic 136-minute running time. Contrasting Scott’s rudderless existence is Claire (Maude Apatow), his high-achieving younger sister who is ready to move out and on to college. Concurrently, Margie, alone and widowed for 17 years, has started seeing a firefighter, Ray (Bill Burr), who doesn’t hit it off so well with Scott initially, when Scott carelessly tries to tattoo Ray’s young son one day in a chance meeting on the beach.

Humor comes with Scott’s inability to be good at the one thing he is passionate about: Tattooing. It is an easy, reliable gag to see Scott drawing on his friends, permanently, time and again with what looks to be the work of a first-time middle school-aged art student. The jokes land effectively with the real-life Davidson (and Scott) adorned with dozens of tattoos.

Easy jokes aside, Davidson is by his genuine nature, a very funny human being. He is someone easy to care about and root for. We like him. His wit is sharp and on point. However, The King of Staten Island seems to wear its emotions too emphatically on its sleeve at times, veering back and forth between intermittent stabs of humor, but also long, dramatic passages, making this Apatow’s most morose of comedic endeavors.

Scott must reconcile a “friends with benefits” arrangement with long-time friend Kelsey (Bel Powley), who begins to want to better herself for the future, while Scott lights more blunts and plays coy when he is pushed to commit after they hook up. Never is Scott mean. Scott is not an awful person. He’s simply lost. And being lost, as Davidson likely would admit, is not often very funny.

Part of Davidson’s appeal, which is illuminated here, is his honesty and authenticity. He has unending charisma and building a movie around him is a smart idea. His acting feels real because, though he is largely playing a version of himself, he radiates a guarded kindness that is as razor sharp as it can be soft to the touch. He carries an uncompromising view of the struggles the world can often unfairly force you to rectify. He has zero F’s to give. And Apatow taps into that and Davidson is a natural.

At 136 minutes though, The King of Staten Island feels like it could be (and perhaps should be) diced up into a multi-episode series. In a binge-watch culture, this easily could be something we consume in one night or a weekend on Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon Prime. Bypassing theaters and releasing straight-to-VOD, as movie houses largely remain closed because of COVID-19, may ultimately prove to be a smart decision.

That depends however on how large an audience this finds. If the film does well, Davidson’s star is almost guaranteed to rise. Historically speaking, Davidson may not fit the prototype of a typical leading man (whatever that is supposed to be), but he does everything he can to carry this heavy, weighty film on his long and lanky frame. The talent is unmistakable. The film’s incessant subplots and continual verse-chorus-verse approach in solving issues and problems makes the film, unfortunately, something of a chore to work through.

CAST & CREW

Starring: Pete Davidson, Marisa Tomei, Bill Burr, Bel Powley, Maude Apatow, Steve Buscemi, Pamela Adlon, Jimmy Tatro, Ricky Velez, Moises Arias, Lou Wilson, Carly Aquilino, Kevin Corrigan, Jay Rodriguez, Jimmy Tatro,, Action Bronson.

Director: Judd Apatow
Written by: Judd Apatow, Pete Davidson, Dave Sirus
Release Date: June 12, 2020
Universal Pictures

Pete Davidson is the real deal.

Fans of Judd Apatow’s serio-comedies will likely appreciate this more than most. Through Davidson he has a willing vessel to try and find the humor present within serious topics and situations.

Has the potential to be a movie people circle back to again and again, if it finds a big audience on VOD, and Davidson’s stardom accelerates.

The film is too long for what it is. At 136 minutes, this feels like several half-starts to an episodic television series and Apatow, Davidson, and co-writer Dave Sirus put way too much “stuff” into one feature film.

A misstep for Judd Apatow. Though he often runs long with his films, The King of Staten Island seems to never find its rhythm. Underwritten characters, predictable arcs and unnecessary repetition, another trip or two through the editing bay might feels advisable.

There’s a lot to like here and I may grow to appreciate it more over time. However, even with some of the pieces in place: The King of Staten Island should simply be a better movie.