Review of The King of Staten Island (2020) by Chrismizerak — 22 Jul 2020

Judd Apatow’s latest directorial offering “The King of Staten Island” is sort of a tough comedy to review. While it’s certainly an entertaining watch that demonstrates a restraint and focus that’s notably absent from Apatow’s earlier works, it does also delve into some more serious territory.

Our protagonist Scott Carlin, played by Pete Davidson, has had an extremely difficult time coping with the death of his firefighter father ever since the age of seven. He’s dropped out of high school, his serious medical problems (namely ADHD and marijuana usage) continue to persist, and now he has to contend with many significant life events all at once.

His younger sister Claire, played by Maude Apatow, is headed for college. His on-and-off girlfriend Kelsey, played by Bel Powley, expresses high uncertainty over the stability of their relationship. His passion project of opening a hybrid tattoo shop/restaurant is more doomed to fail with each passing day.

And on top of all of this, his mother Margie, played by Marisa Tomei, begins starting a relationship with another firefighter Ray, played by Bill Burr, which causes pain and concern on Scott’s end. “The King of Staten Island” is notably more dramatic than the other comedies we typically associate Judd Apatow’s name with.

That much is clear based on this film’s plot description alone. It’s a welcome touch however, because anyone whose parent decides to rebound with someone else after being widowed or divorced on account of the other parent will definitely identify with Scott’s initial plight and overprotective nature.

Even if Scott can’t stay organized or focused to save his life, understandably on account of his mental illnesses, you can tell that he has some well-meaning intentions underneath his selfishness. He doesn’t want his mother, sister and even himself to get hurt like that again and get stuck in an even deeper depression.

And given the difficulty of navigating such obstacles like that in life, it certainly makes sense why Scott feels the need to keep his guard up. As far as the comedy is concerned, “The King of Staten Island” too is a notably darker entry compared to Apatow’s prior works.

Scott gives one young kid a tattoo without him realizing how painful the process actually is, and needless to say, the kid is understandably freaked out. Scott reluctantly agrees to assist his marijuana buddies in robbing a local pharmacy by being the lookout, and when things go south, he feels the urge to flee from the scene.

Scott works at an Italian restaurant where the servers literally have to fight for their tips when the night is through, and every night looks like a complete nightmare for Scott to handle. Complete with impatient guests and fellow co-workers berating him for his work.

Are some plot points in the narrative contrived? A fair argument can be made for that being the case, as Scott originally doesn’t get along with Ray, but they eventually lower their defenses. Some other people that are literally in Scott and Ray’s shoes probably wouldn’t have progressed to where Scott and Ray end up by the finish.

Are there plot holes present in the script? Although Scott visits Claire once earlier on at her college, I’m confused as to why he doesn’t visit her again, especially when he’s kicked out of his own house before desperately going to Ray at the firehouse.

“The King of Staten Island” at its core is a typical coming-of-age story centering around someone trying to find their place in the complicated world they are apart of while overcoming their personal baggage.

And on that front, it works just fine. As a piece of entertainment, “The King of Staten Island” is bolstered by a worthy ensemble cast. Although Davidson is rightfully front and center, Burr, Powley, and even Pamela Adlon as Ray’s ex-wife are equally notable standouts.

If you crave a comedy with a bit of a dark edge to it, then “The King of Staten Island” has what you’re looking for.