It feels good to write a full-length review on a new release. Don't get me wrong, writing stupid, one-sentence reviews is fun due to all the binge-watching I've done during quarantine. Nothing will ever top seeing a new release in theaters and writing afterward. As for I, it surprised me quite a bit.
I knew little-to-nothing coming into my viewing of The King of Staten Island besides that Pete Davidson had Jared Leto's Joker's tattoos. I wouldn't say I was a big fan of him before this, however, he exceeded my expectations, to say the least. He was great throughout the film. I related quite a bit to his character. The main dilemma of his character is "what is my purpose?". Being that I'm a freshman in college, this thought runs through my mind quite a bit. I found his delivery to be great; this film is seriously funny. It falls into the dark/self-deprecating side of humor: my favorite type. Bill Burr was also great throughout, adding some great line delivery.
All humor aside, this film has serious heart. Another main theme of The King of Staten Island is grief. Davidson's character is constantly trying to deal with the loss of his father. I never expected this film to portray grief so well and take it as seriously as it did. Being that Davidson's father died while fighting fires on 9/11, it feels like a true love letter to him. I give him major credit for that.
As for my negatives, my biggest one has to be the run-time. This film has no business being 136 minutes. It's way too long. Outside of the film having quite a few scenes that needed to be shortened or cut completely, I felt that it started losing steam in the third act. I found the first two acts to be much more compelling. I wasn't the biggest fan of the firehouse parts. The film also seems to end pretty abruptly despite its long run-time. If you've seen the film, I think you'll understand what I mean.
Another minor negative I had with the film would be its cinematography. I wouldn't say it's necessarily bad, however, it was extremely bland. Given that it was shot by Robert Elswit, the director of photography behind films such as Nightcrawler, There Will Be Blood, and Punch Drunk Love, the lack of visually compelling shots was disappointing.
In conclusion, The King of Staten Island was a fun watch. Though it has an overly-long runtime and some pacing issues, Pete Davidson's charismatic performance and strong themes elevate the film. I'd recommend it for anyone during the pandemic.
7/10
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