Idiots (2026)
Directed by: Macon Blair
Premise: Two men (O’Shea Jackson Jr. and Dave Franco) are contracted to drive a troubled young man (Mason Thames) to a rehabilitation facility. The trip becomes a whirlwind of sex, drugs, and danger.
What Works: The 1990s produced a trend of movies such as The Doom Generation, Kalifornia, and True Romance which were stories of murder and mayhem set on the road. These tales were often wild and unpredictable, mixing violence with humor. Idiots descends from those 1990s road movies. It has many of the same qualities but the movie is distinguished by its well-defined characters and audacious sense of humor. Idiots centers on three characters and each of them has distinct character turf. O’Shea Jackson Jr. plays a sensitive and good-hearted man of faith whose earnestness leads him to be naïve. Jackson is so effective in this role that when the character eventually compromises his values it’s actually quite affecting. Dave Franco plays a drug user who is impulsive and reckless. Jackson and Franco play an odd couple and their opposing attitudes and worldviews bring them into conflict. Mason Thames plays the young man they must transport to rehab and Thames is astonishing in the role. He initially plays possum, concealing the character’s true malevolence and the first time he strikes it is shocking. Thames includes sly details, revealing his character’s psychopathic nature with a glance or a gesture. The triangular relationship between these men drives the story; road trip movies are sometimes episodic and random but Idiots does a great job of using the characters’ faults and eccentricities to drive the plot. The film also has a cast of colorful supporting characters, namely an exotic dancer played by Kiernan Shipka and an aspiring rapper played by Nicholas Braun. Idiots is extremely funny. It has an outrageous quality similar to the original Hangover but the film also has real stakes and characters who wrestle with ethical problems; Jackson and Franco’s characters are confronted with a genuinely evil person which forces them to consider what it means to be good. The filmmakers don’t overstate the drama but the humanity of Idiots gives the movie an additional weight.
What Doesn’t: It’s probably foolish to criticize a movie titled Idiots for including characters who make stupid decisions. Nevertheless, a few of the characters’ choices are incredible especially in the second half of the story as the two drivers ought to be on the path to self-awareness. Some tonal shifts in Idiots are shocking. These moments are to the film’s credit but they also change the pitch of the film from a goofy road movie like The Hangover or Dumb and Dumber to something darker.
Bottom Line: Idiots is on its surface a fun and outrageous comedy but there is something much more interesting and thoughtful happening underneath the bawdy humor. The performances are great and the film has an energy and life to it that are impressive.
Episode: #1115 (September 6, 2026)