KSL Movie Show review: ‘Riff Raff’ is as awkward as it is humorless
Feb 28, 2025, 8:00 AM
"Riff Raff" is a dark comedy, but the darkness deeply outweighs the laughs.
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SALT LAKE CITY — If you’ve read any of my reviews over the years, it will come as no surprise that I have a somewhat twisted sense of humor. Well, that notion has now been put mightily to the test with this week’s release of “Riff Raff.”
How can that be, you ask?
After all, it has an all-star cast featuring the likes of Bill Murray, Ed Harris, Jennifer Coolidge, Gabrielle Union, Lewis Pullman (Bill’s kid) and Pete Davidson. Surely, no one would dare put these shining stars in such a horribly, disturbing film that’s as awkward as it is humorless.
Director Dito Montiel would… and did.
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Vincent (Ed Harris) is enjoying the holiday season with his lovely wife Sandy (Gabrielle Union) and her nerdy son DJ (Miles J. Harvey) at their remote vacation home in woodsy Maine. Suddenly, Vincent’s older boy, the troublesome Rocco (Lewis Pullman) shows up unexpectedly with his very pregnant girlfriend Marina (Emanuela Postacchini) and Vincent’s first wife, a deeply unconscious Ruth (Jennifer Coolidge).
They insist it’s just a friendly, get-to-know the new woman in Rocco’s life kind of visit, but Vincent knows something isn’t right and we soon learn that Rocco is in the deepest of trouble with an old mobster Leftie (Bill Murray) and Leftie’s henchman Lonnie (Pete Davidson).
Right away you’re thinking, how could this not be funny with at least a handful of very charismatic people in the cast? As it turns out, the screenwriter gives them a bunch of uncomfortable things to say and do that are more cringy than clever, and hope their comedic skills will take care of the rest. They don’t. It simply doesn’t work.
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Case in point, as we follow Leftie and Lonnie on the road in search of Rocco, they stop for a snack at a Farmer John’s little snack shack where some good-ol’ naive clerk tries to banter with these cranky gangsters. The light conversation doesn’t quite match up to the subsequent reaction.
I think you will be as surprised as I was — and not in a good way.
Of course, eventually all interested parties end up at that remote Maine retreat, so now the real fun can start, but again the discordant tones dominate the frightful conversations, putting we, the intended audience, on pins and needles — completely giving up hope that something lighthearted might emerge.
I guess most would describe this as a dark comedy, but the darkness deeply outweighs the “ha ha.”
Right up until the last frame of the film, I felt like the movie was saying, did you see what we did there? Yeah, I saw it and now I’m seriously wondering if the filmmakers did as well.
“Riff Raff” (C-) Rated R for some strong violence, pervasive language, sexual content/nudity and some drug use. Starring Ed Harris, Gabrielle Union, Jennifer Coolidge, Lewis Pullman, Miles J. Harvey, Emanuela Postacchini, Bill Murray and Pete Davidson. Directed by Dito Montiel (“A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints” “Empire State”) – filmed in New Jersey. Running time: 103 minutes.
The KSL Movie Show with Andy Farnsworth and Steve Salles airs Fridays on KSL NewsRadio from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Follow the show on Facebook, and join The KSL Movie Show Club for exclusive perks by texting MOVIE to 57500. Message and data rates may apply. Text STOP to cancel. Message frequency varies.
