Riff Raff has a clever script and a wicked cast but it's execution often feels pedantic making it loose momentum occasionally. Still there are moments that make it worth a watch even if it doesn't always work perfectly. It has scenes that are a lot of fun, and the performances, creating relationships between the characters, do a lot of heavy lifting. So it ends up being a bit of mixed bag that you won't be sorry you watched but are unlikely to revisit.
The biggest asset here is Coolidge who gets to play a role that isn't just the one she's been typecast in. It is a layered character that plays into her strengths but also gives her more to do than we often get to see. But she's not alone. Miles J. Harvey gives an impressive standout as the central character, our narrator, who ties everything together. He is the "everyman" character that we can connect to amongst the crazy cast of characters presented and he brings a pathos that movie needs to up its stakes. Truly the entire cast does good work here and there are moments the script gives them that are truly enjoyable.
I will give it credit for mostly keeping its heightened violence off screen. It doesn't indulge in fetishizing any of that.
The main problem is there is a real paint-by-numbers approach to how it is shot and put together. It often feels like a copy of a Coen Brothers film or a Tarantino film instead of finding it's own voice. There are a few clunky moments that keep it from truly connecting. It's a near miss, but if you want to enjoy some great moments from this cast it's still worth checking out.
Riff Raff
Starring: Jennifer Coolidge, Ed Harris,Gabrielle Union,Lewis Pullman,Miles J. Harvey, Emanuela Postacchini, Michael Angelo Covino, Pete Davidson, Bill Murray
Director: Dito Montiel
Writer: John Pollono
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