For movie buffs, the title “Riff Raff” might be misleading. It is not a “Rocky Horror Picture Show” spin off based on the freaky character named “Riff Raff” (though that might be a great story idea that a “Rocky Horror” cult member should consider developing).
Director Dito Montiel’s “Riff Raff” (written by John Pollono) is being billed as a dark comedy/crime story about a family harboring some secrets from the past. The family includes an aging father Vincent (Ed Harris), his current wife Sandy (Gabrielle Union), their teenage son DJ (Miles J. Harvey), Vincent’s ex-wife Ruth (Jennifer Coolidge), their son Rocco (Lewis Pullman) and Rocco’s gorgeous, pregnant Italian girlfriend Marina (Emanuela Postacchini).
Also central to the plot are the veteran hired killer, Lefty (Bill Murray), Lefty’s hot-headed son Johnny (Michael Angelo Covino) and Lefty’s young, hitman associate Lonnie (Pete Davidson).
It's an ensemble cast.
In its simplest form, the story is about an explosive moment of anger (triggering a brutal murder) that launches Lefty and Lonnie on a mission of revenge.
Without giving away too much, they are out to kill Rocco who decides to disappear by reuniting with his estranged dad Vincent and Vincent’s new family at their hideaway/ getaway vacation house in the country.
Rocco takes his talkative, flamboyant mother Ruth and his girlfriend Marina (a former girlfriend of Johnny) along for the ride. From the start, we know that Rocco is in some sort of serious trouble. The plot thickens as we discover the ominous details.
The movie has a lot going on in terms of introducing the characters and explaining their backstories and relationships. In the world of circus juggling, you might say that there are a lot of balls in the air. Getting through all this hubris weighs the first half of the movie down. The setup is not as funny as it was perhaps intended to be.
Granted, there are some shocker moments along the way, largely from Lefty and Lonnie, who you soon discover are not very nice guys. Bill Murray turns in a different kind of performance here as a slow-witted, heartless, brutal killer. His trademark deadpan comedy delivery adapts well to a guy like Lefty who would blow your brains out in an instant and never think twice about it afterward. He’s scary.
The same could be said of Pete Davidson’s portrayal as Lonnie, the younger version of Lefty. Davidson, unlike some of his former SNL peers, is having a good deal of success adapting to the movies. Besides his appearance in “Riff Raff,” he is also currently the voice of the feline villain Petey, in “Dog Man.” He does a great job.
You could say that Bill Murray and Pete Davidson are the biggest reasons to see “Riff Raff.” It’s a shame they don’t have more screen time than the movie allows.
As mentioned, “Riff Raff” has a very long, very slow build up. But when it finally culminates in a big finale, it really cranks up the suspense with a tense standoff made even more explosive with a major bombshell revelation.
The final reel of “Riff Raff” almost makes up for the lackluster first half of the movie. It is a highly entertaining conclusion sprinkled with tasty tidbits right out of some of our favorite Coen Brothers and Quentin Tarantino movies.
But then comes a short epilogue sequence at the very end of “Riff Raff” that pretty much spoils everything that came before.
Suffice it to say if you’re setting out to make a dark, twisted comedy, sometimes it’s better to end on the dark, film noir note that everyone’s expecting. Going beyond that can totally wreck everything you’ve tried so hard to achieve in terms of the story’s overall tone and impact. In filmmaking as in life, sometimes you need to know when to quit.
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