Three bullied friends decide to hire a bodyguard to protect
them, but a homeless man cons his way into getting the job.

COMEDY

Drillbit Taylor (2008)

Directed by Steven Brill

Written by Kristofor Brown and Seth Rogen

Starring Owen Wilson, Nate Hartley, Troy Gentile,
David Dorfman, Alex Frost, Josh Peck, Danny McBride,
​Leslie Mann, Valerie Tian, Stephen Root, Ian Roberts

---

Connor Eyzaguirre

June 12, 2018

6/10

Owen Wilson is a national treasure, plain and simple. Every character he's played is relatable, likable, and just impossible to hate, even when he's playing a homeless army deserter who lies and steals from terrorized children. That's Drillbit Taylor, a movie that fell off the radar fast back in 2008, and for good reason. It's not that funny, which admittedly is a pretty big problem if your movie is a comedy. It's really just Owen Wilson's charm that keeps this movie together. Despite not being that funny, it's engaging enough to keep your interest thanks to the familiar story and likable protagonists.

Wade, Ryan, and Emmit are three nerdy kids who are being bullied by evil bastards Filkins and Ronnie. One day, they get the genius idea to hire a bodyguard to protect them. When they realize professional bodyguards are way out of their price range, they meet Drillbit Taylor, a homeless former soldier who convinces them that he's what they're looking for. Drillbit then spends the entire movie lying to the kids about how to fight and conning his way to rob their houses. Sure, he eventually has a change of heart, but he's a far cry from the hero we're supposed to be rooting for at the end of the movie. Not to mention the abandonment of several other important plot threads, including Wade's toxic relationship with his stepdad.

Drillbit Taylor is way more of a miss than a hit, but that's to be expected at this point. I think it's likely that I'm one of the few people to have actually watched this since its release. The movie is forgettable, unfunny, and kind of a wash. But Owen Wilson keeps it from being unwatchable, because he has that power. I think with an R-rating, this movie could've been way funnier, especially with a screenplay by Seth Rogen.