Riff Raff

Riff Raff (2024) has many good qualities, but also a few gaps. Acting is solid, with credible performances by Ed Harris, Bill Murray, Pete Davidson, and other less familiar actors. The plot offers layers of complexity. Production values are adequate for a mid-budget film. It's watchable, but not thoroughly enjoyable. I liked Ed Harris's Vincent, but couldn't identify with him. It was nice to see Bill Murray playing against type. However, I never truly identified with or cared about any of the characters.

Some scenes seemed familiar and predictable. There was possibly an overreliance on flashbacks. It seemed a bit awkwardly politically correct with an interracial romance that laced passion. The ending was a bit noir, but spoiled by a Hollywood denouement and a climatic scene that seemed contrived and improbable. The filmmakers offer exposition on family that doesn't quite fit the action, but leave the viewer wondering what it all meant.

I honestly tend to have low expectations with star studded casts as if it means it's going to bomb. This film was obnoxiously amazing. 40 minutes in and there was zero plot. Every character felt so unnecessarily over dramatic with a stereotypical arch. It left me riveted, wanting to know what's next. I often felt beyond annoyed one minute, and the next feeling it was brilliant. The younger son's weird quirks felt unnecessary. The entire character and casting choice of Gabriel Union was cringy. I not once believed Harris and Union would ever be a couple and the one scene with the two was gag worthy. Pete and Bill were *chefs kiss* and I loved the Tarantinoesque dynamic of real world encounters with stupid people. Pete's monologue towards the end was hilarious. If the creators purposefully were making fun of these types of movies then it was spot on. This was honestly some of the best acting I've seen from Jennifer Coolidge. Give it a shot. A gummy helps!

Long, drawn out and cringe.

I almost feel sorry for Pete Davidson, but he's a dope that does dope.

A bunch of non engaging characters are cruel to each other and most of the people that they encounter. This is just bad wanna be Tarantino and Bill Murray's schtick is old and so is he. Trying to figure out what the point was. And Ed Harris getting it on with gorgeous Gabrielle Union made the skin on my body want to crawl off. Lots of drawn out scenes and Harris's character is such a dried up jerk I don't get what his appeal was. The dough black kid had a few funny lines, and the Italian gal was stunning, but this thing was 20 minutes too long. And twist I figured out in the first 15 minutes.

This is a small film with a good story, great Direction, and a great cast. I watched it for Bill Murray. It is an unusual role for him, but he is really versatile. He plays a middle level mob boss out for the revenge of the murder of his son. Pete Davidson, Gabrielle Union, Ed Harris and Jennifer Coolidge are very good in co-starrring roles. Miles J. Harvey is a the best part of the movie and the cerebral son of Union and Harris. This is part mob movie, part comedy, part drama. It is unusual and good. The dialogue is very good and well executed by the cast. This is an unusual independent film worth supporting and seeing.

I don't like it when a movie starts with a scene from the end and then rewinds back to the start - however, in this case I can at least understand why they needed to do it. The first 80% of this movie is painfully boring.

Which is a shame because the final sequence of the movie is actually really good and entertaining, proving that the film had the goods all along, it just wasn't using them.

The only scenes that were interesting in the early going were the Bill Murray and Pete Davidson ones. They were some fun villains and more screentime for them would've gone a long way.

'Riff Raff' feels like a waste of a really good cast. A lot of movies would kill to have a cast like this. A generous 5/10.