Review of the film “Gutter” and summary of the film (2024)

With Gutter, writers/directors/brothers Yasir and Isaiah Lester did something that I, as a black man, thought would never happen: prove that people of color can make hilariously stupid comedies, too.

They have Shameik Moore in the title role of Walt, a dim-witted, usually shirtless loser who takes a job as a bartender at a ramshackle, undercrowded bowling alley run by jaded owner Mozell (former “227” siren Jackie Harry). It’s here that Walt meets The Good Place alumna Skunk D’Arcy Carden, a former professional bowler turned raging alcoholic who notices Walt’s almost supernatural ability to throw a strike no matter how many different ways – sneakily, across the room, just throwing – he rolls the ball.

When a building inspector (Netflix aficionado Adam Brody) comes and tells Mozell that the alley needs $200,000 in renovations – or it will close in 60 days – Walt and Skunk team up and hit the road, competing in professional bowling tournaments. . Walt (who came up with a bowling name that we can’t print here) sees this as a chance to prove himself by dressing like his favorite rappers and receiving endorsement deals from Pornhub and Spicy Hot Miik. As for Skunk, Walt is her chance to destroy the legacy of villainous, hard-core bowling legend Linda Curson (Susan Sarandon), who has come out of retirement to show them who’s boss.

It’s safe to say that “The Harvest” doesn’t have an original bone in its body. Of course, it owes a lot to Kingpin and The Big Lebowski, two bowling comedies also directed by a pair of brothers, as well as aggressively stupid, outsider sports comedies/SNL cast vehicles like Happy Gilmore and Happy Gilmore.” “Hot Rod.” But, God help me, I couldn’t stop giggling during it.

In fact, the swashbuckling comedy of Gutter has more in common with the relentlessly absurd, mostly improvised comedies of Will Ferrell and Adam McKay of the late aughts and early 2010s. Characters say and do crazy, usually obscene things at a frenetic pace. But because this is a film written, directed and starring people of color, the humor is, shall we say, more… urban this time.

It’s the kind of comedy where you see a hotep named Brother Candy (Rell Battle) preaching through a megaphone about white people descended from apes (“That’s why their nipples are pink!”), or a ghost guy riding a car up to the hood , but the car crashed into garbage cans. When Walt begins to lose his temper at the bowling alley, he believes there is a conspiracy: “These white people don’t want me to win. This is similar to what Kendrick Lamar talks about in his short (racial slur) raps about dreadlocks.”

Moore, who is best known as the voice of Miles Morales in the animated Spider-Man films, leads the foul-mouthed performance as the idiotic but confident Walt. Essentially, it portrays him as nothing more than a sexually charged, superficial identifiernot letting a lack of social skills or even an inability to read stop him from reaching the top – and hopefully having a threesome. Carden, constantly showing off his belly, is more of a caustic straight man, knocking back beer and delivering a deadpan, hot vibe as his itinerant coach.

The cast is peppered with random cameos, including Kim Fields as Walt’s beggar mother.”Unreliablestar Jay Ellis as supposedly unattractive cousin Walt and How Was It Made? Podcaster Paul Scheer stars as a tanned Southern bowler. Paul Reiser also works as a bowling commentator, causing trouble for Walt and Skunk. (Remember commentator Fred Willard in “Best in Show“, but more racist and pathetic.) We also have Yasser Lester’s fellow comics in the African-American stand-up scene popping up here and there. Social media darling Tony Baker appears out of nowhere to ask Walt for money and a burgundy sash.

As with most comedies that throw everything away (and common sense) for laughs, some bits miss the mark. But the Lesters thankfully shoehorn in enough ghetto-fairytale jokes to keep me giggling constantly.

Some people might call “The Gutter” stupid. But I’m sure that after black people see this, they will also call it stupid, but take it as high praise.