How idiotic IS it?! (CREDIT: Independent Film Company)

Starring: Dave Franco, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Mason Thames, Kiernan Shipka, Peter Dinklage, Nicholas Braun, Macon Blair, Killer Mike

Director: Macon Blair

Running Time: 100 Minutes

Rating: R for Up-Close-and-Personal Violence, Unhinged Language, Some Sexuality, and Drug-Fueled Scatology

Release Date: August 28, 2026 (Theaters)

What’s It About?: Mark (Dave Franco) and Davis (O’Shea Jackson Jr.) are an odd couple who find themselves thrust together by the winds of economic uncertainty. After losing their respective jobs, they accept a gig transporting rich teenager Sheridan Kimberley (Mason Thames) to rehab. It sounds simple enough, except for the fact that Sheridan is a sociopath with a  frighteningly loyal social media following. Look, it might be possible that they could eventually arrive at the rehab joint. But that’s not going to happen without Sheridan manipulating his charges against each other and torturing them to no end.

What Made an Impression?: Exactly Where They’re Supposed to Be: Considering its extreme setup, Idiots is a surprisingly contemplative film. Amidst all the drug use, gunfire, and general transgression, there are plenty of conversations about our place in the universe. Davis is devoutly religious, in contrast to and in conflict with Mark’s more secular philosophical ramblings. Eventually everyone settles within this movie’s foundational perspective that we’re all just doing our best. That belief is a little self-serving in context, but it’s also filled with grace. If you ever find yourself resorting to extreme measures while in charge of a sociopath, it’ll be a good idea to grant yourself some forgiveness.
Who’s That Lady?: As a striving hustler and a charming scuzzball, respectively, Jackson and Franco are right in their wheelhouses, while Thames offers a complete 180 of pretty much everything he’s done before. But the true revelation here is an unrecognizable Kiernan Shipka as a stripper who teams up with Mark and Davis to attempt to subdue Sheridan. It’s a part that’s nowhere near the vicinity of Peggy Draper and Sabrina Spellman, and the kind of performance that makes you go, “I thought we were witnessing the birth of a new star, but instead it’s a rebirth.” Even if you do somehow recognize her, that doesn’t take away one bit from how compelling she is.
How Much Idiocy Can We Take?: When I watch a violent, shenanigan-filled movie like Idiots, I can’t help but ask, “Was it all worth it?” And well, I chuckled more than I winced, so that’s certainly a big point in its favor. I think it also helped that this movie is filled with real daylight, and sunny skies rarely fail to put me in a good mood. Plus, the philosophical bent puts a glass-half-full spin on all the danger. This is a movie about surviving, and survive it we shall.

Idiots is Recommended If You Like: Perseverance

Grade: 3.5 out of 5 Idiots