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I'll start by saying I'm a big Mamet fan. In many ways diving into his catalog of plays was what led me to begin a career in theater. Which is what made the last few plays of his- China doll, the penitent and the anarchist so disheartening- they sucked. A lot. They just lacked the sizzle of what makes Mr mamets work shine. But Henry Johnson is a linguistic banger with actors that elevate the words with ride or die commitment. Sure, maybe the jumps in time are a touch jarring, especially from the second to last scene to the last scene, but this is a true Mamet work in all the best ways, and for that I'm truly grateful.

The camerawork is great. The tone is mopey yet comical. It's like a less frantic version of Trainspotting mixed with a little Stranger Than Fiction and It Follows. Alan King is brilliant in this. Hits all the right notes essential for making such an unlikable character likable. Very rarely do I laugh out loud when I watch streaming movies, but with this one I did three or four times. I do think the film could've gotten cut down just a tad with the run time, but it didn't feel terribly slow. Just some moments in the middle where I wondered where things were going. But sometimes that's okay. With this film, it certainly was. Hope this movie does something because it deserves an audience.

I can see why this film might put off some people. Either you buy the tone and decide to go along for the ride, or you roll your eyes and call it trash. Personally I decided to go with it, and I'm glad I did because there's some really funny moments and really unexpected moments of levity followed by psychotic insanity. You almost feel for Paul. He's got very pure intentions. But boy oh boy does he go off the rails. And I loved it. Also thought the music was great and the camera work was tight and interesting. All and all a solid followup to Cocaine Bear. Interested to see what this dude does next.