An American Pickle (2020)

Normally, I would say that double the Seth Rogen must mean double the fun, but that’s not necessarily the case with the new HBO Max film, An American Pickle. Rogen plays Herschel Greenbaum, a Jewish immigrant who travels to America in 1919 in order to make a name for himself. However, on one fateful day, while working in a pickle factory, he falls into a vat of pickle juice which perfectly preserves him for a hundred years. Waking up in the modern day, he is united with his great-grandson, Ben (also Rogen). While the plot is absurd, I was really on board with this premise. I thought it was just wacky enough to invite some great out-there comedy. I am also a really big fan of Seth Rogen. Regardless of what he is in, I am always excited and eager to watch. However, that may have been my downfall with An American Pickle. The pieces are certainly there for a really great comedy, but it all comes down to the writing. Simon Rich’s (SNL, Man Seeking Woman) screenplay is simply not up to snuff. Containing underdeveloped characters, logic-lacking plot points, and an over-adherence to formula