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There’s an ongoing debate surrounding comedy films and whether or not filmmakers “hate” their protagonists, and if contempt is a constructive tool for humor. It’s obviously the case that great comedy can result from anger, but that hasn’t stopped the notion of “punching down” from being perceived as cynical, and even exploitative. Filmmakers accused of being overtly misanthropic include anyone from John Waters and the Coen brothers to Todd Phillips and the Wayans clan.
It should be evident from the homegrown, handcrafted independent cinema of Macon Blair that he’s not a writer/director who spins inauthenticity, as his depiction of outsiders, outcasts, and anyone perceived to be “unlucky” is clearly empathetic. That doesn’t prevent Blair from depicting inanity when he sees it, and “Idiots” has no pretense of self-importance. There are notes of satire within Blair’s exploration of various types of ”posers,” but “Idiots” is first and foremost a pretty clever dark comedy where the stupidest characters imaginable clash in a completely superficial conflict.
Blair’s previous films include the comedic revenge thriller “I Don’t Feel At Home In This World Anymore” and the grungy superhero reboot “The Toxic Avengers,” and “Idiots” is the furthest astray from his genre roots, even if the somewhat straightforward buddy comedy becomes a much more gripping crime adventure by the end.
“Idiots” is about two unemployed losers, Mark (Dave Franco) and Davis (O’Shea Jackson Jr.), who get a gig transporting the rich kid Sheridan Kimberley (Mason Thames) to a mental health facility, paid for by his shady family. Mark is a slacker who has never put more than a half-hearted effort into anything, and Davis is a people-pleaser who always seems to come up short.
Even though the job is obviously questionable and of dubious intent, it’s the only opportunity that both of them have to pay the bills. A generous comparison would explore the similarities between the leads of “Idiots” to the duo of street hustlers in “Midnight Cowboy” or the two young men tasked with transporting a troubled youth in “The Last Detail,” but Mark and Davis’ intelligence makes them closer to “Harold and Kumar” or “Beavis and Butt-Head.”
The success of “Idiots” is that Blair does not sand off any of the rough edges about these characters; Mark thinks he’s more clever than he actually is and Davis has fashioned himself as a caring person, but they’re both caught over their heads when met with the slightest resistance. Much of the first half of the film isn’t even particularly high-concept, as it focuses on the menial, insecure aloofness of two oddballs who are easily deceived by a teenager.
It’s an amusing enough source of observational human that begins to overstay its welcome by the point the film reaches its most tiresome gross-out gag, but this is also the instance in which Blair twists “Idiots” into something darker. It turns out that Sheridan is a young psychopath who has garnered a strong social media following, and might have the power to con his guardians and escape.
The question that Blair asks is whether the front that these characters are putting on is sincere, and whether they should be truly pitied for actions that may or may not entirely be their fault. Is Mark actually too dumb to function, or is he just lazy? Is Davis a truly kind-hearted person, or is he ignorant and cowardly? There’s enough to like within the performances of both Franco and Jackson to make the characters compelling, but Blair doesn’t make them tragic to the point that laughing at their misfortune feels mean-spirited.
That same question of legitimacy can be posed of Sheridan, who dons the mask of a mentally ill, emotionally repressed “problem child” whenever it’s convenient. The character is a MacGuffin that creates chaos, but he’s also placed in situations where his inherent privilege makes him both unusually protected and completely ill-prepared for the real world.
Blair’s dialogue isn’t intended to be particularly sharp, but the bickering between the trio is generally effective, mostly because they seem to constantly be at each other’s throats. The difference between “Idiots” and something like “The Wrong Girls” is that Blair understands that in-jokes between characters aren’t usually that funny if the viewer doesn’t feel like part of the circle.
That Davis and Mark are strangers at the start of the film creates an odd poignancy, reflecting how desperate people tend to connect with one another, for better or worse. The class dimensions to “Idiots” are fascinating because it’s obvious that Davis and Mark are at a disadvantage because they’ve been constantly fighting to get by, forced to learn lessons in trials by fire. At the same time, the film doesn’t suggest that social clout alone is enough to change someone’s nature; Sheridan alone is proof of that.
“Idiots” does feel bifurcated into two completely different films, but the transition isn’t all that awkward, given that it’s only logical that Davis and Marks’ luck would continue to get worse. The first half of the film is a discerning, mundane journey into Americana, comparable to indie gems like “Flirting With Disaster” or “Sideways,” in which the tension is reliant on the animosity within the interpersonal dynamics.
There’s a fun side performance by Kiernan Shipka as a Russian exotic dancer that doesn’t exactly go the way that sort of storyline is underserved. Shipka is among the rare child stars to have successfully transitioned into adult roles, and her great performance earlier this year in the fourth season of “Industry” makes it somewhat disappointing that she wasn’t given more to do.
The second half of “Idiots” descends into an anarchic, eventful dark comedy that goes to more expected places, even if Blair’s sensibilities are far more aggressive than what would be found in a studio film. There’s enough creative collisions to ensure that the film doesn’t get too narratively confined, given that the overcomplication of a simple situation is part of what makes the film so funny.
“Idiots” rarely carries the smug proclamation of “quirkiness” that has compromised many indie comedies, but Blair does end the story on an appropriately defiant note that somehow makes the experience seem a bit more profound. Making a film that is smarter than its characters is much more challenging than it might seem, and “Idiots” is just distanced enough from its subjects for its humor to be well-taken.
Read More: The 10 Best Comedy Movies of 2025
Idiots (2026) Movie Links: IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes, Wikipedia, Letterboxd
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