A resentful family turns on one another when the youngest son
publishes a novel containing their most embarrassing secrets. COMEDY
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Peep World (2010)Directed by Barry W. Blaustein
Written by Peter Himmelstein Starring Michael C. Hall, Sarah Silverman, Ben Schwartz, Rainn Wilson, Judy Greer, Kate Mara, Taraji P. Henson, Stephen Tobolowsky, Lesley Ann Warren, Ron Rifkin |
Peep World had all the makings of a great indie comedy that would double as a passable drama. Somehow, an interesting story and a stellar cast were both unable to keep this dry comedy from becoming anything more than a lost Netflix suggestion. It has some serious potential, but is limited by a weak script and a super short run-time. Plus, I'm pretty sure that Michael C. Hall just got permanently burned out from doing Dexter for eight seasons. Since then, he's yet to put out a memorable performance.
The only thing this film has going for it is its investment in characters. The characters are some of the most asinine, smug jackasses this side of the Bluth family. They're all unlikable in their own way, especially Sarah Silverman's character Cheri, who I was hoping would get hit by a bus at some point. Nate, Ben Schartz's writer brother, was a tool with an ego the size of the moon, while Joel, Rainn Wilson's underachiever, kept owing favors to the wrong people. Their father is a self-righteous prick who thinks he's "Father of the Year" and all his kids are idiots. He's half-right, and the inevitable blowout between the kids and their father unfortunately never comes. It's the one thing I was looking forward to. Though Peep World has many flaws, it's biggest problem is the run-time. It's not long enough for the story to go anywhere. There's virtually no conclusion, nor does anything get resolved. It's one of the most infuriating things a film can do, and it convinced me that this film is not worth saving. Indie comedies are very much either hit or miss with very little middle ground between them. I feel comfortable saying that Peep World was a definite miss. |