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The King of Staten Island (2020)

Scott has been a case of arrested development ever since his firefighter father died when he was seven. He's now reached his mid-20s having achieved little, chasing a dream of becoming a tattoo artist that seems far out of reach. As his ambitious younger sister heads off to college, Scott is still living with his exhausted ER nurse mother and spends his days smoking weed, hanging with the guys — Oscar, Igor and Richie — and secretly hooking up with his childhood friend Kelsey. But when his mother starts dating a loudmouth firefighter named Ray, it sets off a chain of events that will force Scott to grapple with his grief and take his first tentative steps toward moving forward in life.
2.8 / 5
INCLUVIE SCORE
4.3 / 5
MOVIE SCORE
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Incluvie Movie Reviews


Incluvie Writer
November 3, 2021
3 / 5
INCLUVIE SCORE
4.5 / 5
MOVIE SCORE

“The King of Staten Island” Joins the Royal Ranks of Judd Apatow’s Movies

What I’ve always appreciated about writer/director Judd Apatow is that he’s able to bring a layer of depth and complexity to dumb, fun comedies. Movies such as The 40 Year Old Virgin, Knocked Up, and Trainwreck are raunchy comedies, of course, but they also have something more to say about their characters; they focus on people with cases of arrested development who struggle to mature. In many ways, Apatow’s films tap into a universal feeling we all share to some extent: an apprehension towards growing up. Apatow’s latest film, The King of Staten Island, is no different. The movie tells the story of Scott (Pete Davidson), the 24-year-old son of a deceased firefighter who passed away when Scott was 7. Struggling with mental health issues, Scott has been unable to move forward in life. However, everything Scott knows completely overturns when his mother, Margie (Marisa Tomei), begins dating a man (Bill Burr) for the first time in 17 years. Davidson co-writes and co-produces this movie, and it is clear that so much of his personal story is deeply embedded in the film. It feels as if we are getting a raw and intimate look into who Davidson is; his thoughts and experiences. One of the oldest screenwriting tips in the book is to “write what you know,” and there’s a reason why it is so effective. I have always felt that some of the best art comes from a place of someone simply telling their story because what are movies if not the stories of people’s lives? While playing a version of yourself isn’t necessarily the greatest litmus test for one’s thespianism, Davidson is fantastic in the leading role; he brings with him his dark and dry sense of humor and a willingness to scathingly call out other people’s B.S. Scott is a character who is seemingly always getting in his way; he keeps telling people he is not ready to move up in the world — to get a job or get his apartment — because he’s still trying to “figure his s*** out.” The more he repeats this mantra, the more he puts off the next stage of his life. Bill Burr plays Margie’s new boyfriend, Ray, who also happens to be a firefighter. This is what immediately pits Scott against him, as he can’t understand why his mother would put herself in a position to potentially lose another significant other. Burr has some of the greatest lines in the movie, and brings his classic chaotic Masshole energy to the character. As Scott spends more time with Ray, however, he begins to see different sides of him. Putting all of the character development aside, if The King of Staten Island wasn’t funny, it simply wouldn’t work. Luckily, this movie is hysterical. I was laughing all the way through, as I immediately tapped into the film’s style of humor. The comedy isn’t necessarily as graphic as some of Apatow’s other movies, but rather it comes from a place of finding the levity in regular human interaction. One complaint I have been hearing about this film is that it is too long. With a 2-hour-and-16-minute runtime, it falls in line with Apatow’s habit of making comedies that are over 2 hours. The movie certainly could have been edited down, but I personally don’t mind the runtime. I enjoy hanging out in this world and spending time with these characters, so I am perfectly fine with it being as long as it is. I do, however, completely understand why someone might say it is overstuffed. An area where
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Movie Information


Scott has been a case of arrested development ever since his firefighter father died when he was seven. He's now reached his mid-20s having achieved little, chasing a dream of becoming a tattoo artist that seems far out of reach. As his ambitious younger sister heads off to college, Scott is still living with his exhausted ER nurse mother and spends his days smoking weed, hanging with the guys — Oscar, Igor and Richie — and secretly hooking up with his childhood friend Kelsey. But when his mother starts dating a loudmouth firefighter named Ray, it sets off a chain of events that will force Scott to grapple with his grief and take his first tentative steps toward moving forward in life.

Rating:R
Genre:Comedy, Drama
Directed By:Judd Apatow
Written By:Judd Apatow, Pete Davidson, Dave Sirus
In Theaters:6/12/2020
Box Office:$2,200,000
Runtime:137 minutes
Studio:Universal Pictures, Apatow Productions, Perfect World Pictures

Cast


Director

Judd Apatow

Director

noImg
cast

Pete Davidson

Scott Carlin

cast

Marisa Tomei

Margie Carlin

cast

Bill Burr

Ray Bishop

cast

Bel Powley

Kelsey

cast

Maude Apatow

Claire Carlin

cast

Steve Buscemi

Papa

cast

Pamela Adlon

Gina

cast

Action Bronson

Shot or Stabbed Victim

cast

Kevin Corrigan

Joe

cast

Ricky Velez

Oscar

cast

Moisés Arias

Igor