The Shitheads, 2026.
Written and Directed by Macon Blair.
Starring Dave Franco, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Mason Thames, Kiernan Shipka, Nicholas Braun, Peter Dinklage, Najah Bradley, Tim Ware, Killer Mike, Chris Sharp, Lynn Wanlass, Eric Goins, Judy McDowell, Melanie Loren, Mike Hickman, Shontelle Thrash, and Macon Blair.
SYNOPSIS:
Two rock-bottom drivers transport a wealthy teen to rehab, but their simple job spirals into a chaotic journey of drugs, danger, and crime as their passenger derails their plans.
Every time writer/director Macon Blair throws a new wrinkle into the plotting of The Shitheads, sometimes switching up subgenres entirely as he is typically known to do, there are diminishing returns from the outrageously funny first act. Once the third act kicks in, it is so wildly out there and far removed from what this slacker comedy began as that it might just lose everyone else for good.
The unpleasantness under the surface of at least one character (which occasionally rises to the surface in deeply uncomfortable ways that the script shrugs off) doesn’t help; one could argue this is a film that tries to be funny, and sometimes succeeds, when there isn’t much room for humor left. It is a minor miracle that stars Dave Franco and O’Shea Jackson Jr. maintain their endearing frictional chemistry throughout and can still occasionally elicit laughs after the darker turn the story takes.
They are given a hilariously appealing setup: they play perennial screw-ups, with one of them recognizing his failures and consistently trying to do better. The other is a dimwitted stoner who couldn’t care less about self-improvement as long as he is paying the bills. It’s also safe to say anyone reading this can probably guess who plays who, but for clarity, O’Shea Jackson Jr. is Davis, the former, and Dave Franco is Mark, the latter.
After a howl-inducing opening scene that feels designed to attack the collective funny bone of festival audiences everywhere (if you thought Stellan Skarsgård buying DVDs of Irreversible for a child was hilarious, buckle up, this might top that) that explains away Davis’ latest blunder of working with the children of his church, he is on the hunt for a new gig. He and Mark both show up for a transportation gig to a rehab facility for teenage juveniles, driving clients arranged by family across the state. Neither of whom is properly equipped for the job, forcing them to ride together.
The kid happens to be Sheridan (Mason Thames, putting on a shit-eating grin so evil you might wish Ethan Hawke’s The Grabber slaughtered him in those respective movies), the spoiled brat of a filthy rich family who is not only routinely in trouble, but misleads the duo into believing that his behavior involves everything from hard drugs to sexual deviancy. There is truth to both of those, but it also turns out he is a misogynistic and violent psychopath who has somehow amassed an influencer-like following for committing all sorts of inhumane atrocities. There are some dark incidents discussed here, meaning that the fact that this kid has that kind of following at all comes across as a stretch. Yes, people look up to horrific individuals all the time; the way it’s depicted and presented here simply feels false.
With Mark being the more loose and dumber of the two, meaning he is also easier to manipulate, a stay at a motel takes a turn, coming to involve the invitation of a sex worker (Kiernan Shipka) while Davis is off taking a walk, eventually getting into other shenanigans. It’s a comedic set piece that contains arguably the film’s funniest moment before quickly pivoting into a dark side that the film never really wrestles with. The Shitheads is certainly trying to say something about the gig economy, considering that Davis and Mark are legally toast if they lose Sheridan. There is a saying that everyone is always trying their best, but here, Macon Blair seems to suggest maybe not, even as Mark mostly remains amusing and likable despite his boneheaded mistakes.
Some of that comes through alongside the hilarity, but again, this film loses the plot in more ways than one as it commits to crime thriller territory, bringing in Peter Dinklage and others (actors who are at least also delivering fun performances, bringing their own madcap energy to the proceedings). Ironically, The Shitheads could also be best summarized as mostly going down the shitter after Dave Franco’s bout with explosive diarrhoea.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★
Robert Kojder
