The term “riff-raff” refers to “disreputable or undesirable people,” according to the Oxford Dictionary, and Ditto Montiel’s latest film cannot be accused of false advertising. Although characters you love to hate are certainly in right now — just see Succession or The White Lotus — Riff Raff’s attempts to be satirical in this way fail miserably, resulting in a movie that is dull and difficult to connect with.
Riff Raff Review
Riff Raff follows a former criminal whose now idyllic life is thrown askew when his estranged son shows up carrying a dark secret that makes this family reunion anything but happy. Although a low-concept crime comedy with an A-list cast like this sounds like an exciting prospect, the truth is that this potential is incredibly wasted.
Riff Raff is the type of movie you would be unsurprised to learn had been envisioned as a theatrical production: minimal locations, lots of dialogue, and a star-studded ensemble that does much of the heavy lifting. Yet, that doesn’t seem to be the case. It’s just a film designed to meet the lowest common denominator.
One of the biggest problems with Riff Raff is that it doesn’t do or say anything of meaning. At first, it seems like it’s going to be the standard retired hitman moral conundrum that has become an increasingly popular trope in recent years, but a second-act “twist” reveals that this was little more than a means to an even more generic end: a dull revenge story that tries to invert the formula but is not clever enough to do so.
This lack of depth may be forgivable if Riff Raff at least gave us an ensemble of characters that are enjoyable to spend time with. Unfortunately, that is not the case. Most of the characters are downright unlikable, and those that aren’t are at least annoying. The motivations for the characters’ actions are basic and struggle to keep the audience invested in the drama. Unfortunately, there are no real stakes when you couldn’t care less whether the characters live or die.
It’s a shame that the movie squanders its potential as an ensemble piece, as the cast is one of the most stacked in recent memory. Jennifer Coolidge gets top billing, although she’s barely in the film; and for the parts where she’s not absent, she’s doing a similar schtick to what she did in The White Lotus, only with far less emotion or satirical wit.
Ed Harris and Bill Murray appear to be competing for the title of most bored with John Pollono’s script. Seriously, it would be hard to find someone who seemingly wants to be in a movie less than Harris with Riff Raff. As for Murray, he’s sleepwalking through his monologues, delivering them with a lethargy that reeks of a paycheck job. The idea of having Murray (a relative rarity) as a villain is super inspired, though. Hopefully, he gets a better script that allows him to be dastardly like this.
The rest of the cast doesn’t fare much better either. Like Murray, Pete Davidson is an inspired casting choice as the bumbling henchman. Yet, his dialogue is so unfunny and there’s no real physical comedy to be found, rendering his presence in the film basically useless. The usually talented Lewis Pullman is shockingly nondescript in his role, giving a turn that realistically could have been filled by any actor of his generation. Gabrielle Union, on the other hand, could have not shown up on set and the difference would have been minimal.
Is Riff Raff worth watching?
That’s pretty much the story of Riff Raff, though… a bunch of really talented people got together and put in minimal effort. You’d think that this many gifted creators working together would yield a final product that was at least entertaining, but Riff Raff lacks the humor, the tension, and most of all the originality to land as the comedic thriller it hopes to be.
Riff Raff hits theaters on February 28.
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