Review of Bad Words (2013) by Jeffrey M — 08 Aug 2014

A big departure for nice guy Jason Bateman, his directorial debut is a dark comedy of audacious proportions, often offensive, uncomfortable, and cruel in its delivery. It's a black comedy that wants to shock, and wear that's on its sleeve. The result is a film of debauchery, some interesting moments, and strong central performances, yet a film that never fully hits on the resonance that it tries for.

While the film was occasionally funny, the film's laughs didn't deliver consistently enough to cover up its narrative limitations. The story is never fully developed, we don't understand all of the motivations of the characters, the arcs feel false, and its best moments are never fully earned. Successful black comedies, like the brilliant Bad Santa, provide us with interesting characters, hilarious situations that are earned within the story, and shock that serves a purpose. With Bad Words, what we ultimately get is a few laughs, some good performances, and an entertaining film overall, yet an average comedy. The film feels as if it's trying too hard to shock us, with not enough attention being paid to the message it's trying to send, or the characters it wants us to appreciate.

A marginal recommendation for fans of the genre.

3/5 Stars.