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The King of Staten Island

2020

Judd Apatow

Pete Davidson, Marisa Tomei, Bill Burr, Steve Buscemi ...

6.4

3,460

Comedy. Drama A semi-autobiographical comedy-drama about Pete Davidson growing up in Staten Island, including losing his father during 9/11 and entering the world of stand up comedy.

	Author	Review
United States	Jon Frosch The Hollywood Reporter	"Davidson is fully plugged in, and the director (...) has crafted a sturdy showcase for him (...) It's winning: relaxed, generous, suffused with warmth and a surprisingly delicate sorrow."	POS
United States	David Ehrlich IndieWire	"Pete Davidson shines in Apatow’s best film since 'Funny People' (...) This sweet film crystallizes the feeling of being too scared to escape your own shadow"	POS
United Kingdom	Fionnuala Halligan Screendaily	"A loping, amiable, sweetly-funny film, and yet you sometimes wish there was a bit less of (...) A pretty apt film for home viewing; something to dip in and out of, perhaps, while you’re gaming"	NEU
United States	Justin Chang Los Angeles Times	"[It] becomes a better one whenever Burr is on screen, especially when he’s with Tomei, whose flinty warmth has rarely been more winning"	POS
United States	Kristy Puchko IGN	"An engaging blend of comedy and drama (...) [It] lumbers from one thread to another, seemingly uncertain over what it's about"	NEU
United States	Matt Goldberg Collider	"A delightfully disheveled coming-of-age story (...) The tone fits perfectly with the main character while not losing sight of the dramatic stakes of the story"	POS
United States	Owen Gleiberman Variety	"For its compelling first hour, 'The King of Staten Island' is content to ramble along with Scott in a way that’s both authentic and pleasurable. All the details feel just right (...) It all unfolds too conventionally"	NEU
United Kingdom	Peter Bradshaw The Guardian	"With this richly enjoyable movie, comedy maven Judd Apatow has found a new register to go with his habitual stories of middle-aged angst and disillusion (...) There are a lot of laughs here (…) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 5)"	POS
United States	Chris Evangelista SlashFilm	"This comedy mostly gets by on the charms of its cast, but its unfocused, shambling manner saps most of the film’s energy by the time it draws to an unsatisfying conclusion"	NEU
United States	Steve Pond The Wrap	"The film tiptoes carefully around fraught emotional issues and in the process manages, perhaps surprisingly, to be a fairly mature movie about a not-at-all mature guy"	POS
United States	Brian Tallerico rogerebert.com	"The problem with this frustrating, formless movie is that Davidson’s leading man simply isn’t that interesting, and the film that should chart his trajectory ends up stolen by the people around him (…) Rating: ★★ (out of 4)"	NEU
United Kingdom	Tim Robey Telegraph	"[It] is in sore need of a spine (...) [It] hits all the wrong notes (…) Rating: ★★ (out of 5)"	NEG
Canada	Molly Freeman Screen Rant	"Davidson is a triumph in 'The King of Staten Island', delivering plenty of fun R-rated humor in an emotionally compelling story about growing up (…) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 5)"	POS
United States	Scott Mendelson Forbes	"It looks lovely thanks to lensing courtesy of Robert Elswit (...) It’s not exactly a laugh riot, but it works as a compelling and engaging character play."	POS
United States	Richard Lawson Vanity Fair	"If you’re really in the tank for Davidson, 'The King of Staten Island' might deliver. If you’re a bit more circumspect, it will prove less than persuasive."	NEU
United States	Katie Walsh Chicago Tribune	"Apatow's greatest strength as a filmmaker is an eye for charismatic performers who are just fun to be around, and 'The King of Staten Island' is a testament to that (…) Rating: ★★★ (out of 4)"	POS
United States	Matt Singer Screen Crush	"I never got bored (...) If anything I wanted to spend more time with some of the supporting characters"	POS
United States	Sam Adams Slate	"It has a loping, lowkey charm and doesn’t require too much of your attention (...) You’re in the passenger seat, and it’s a nice ride as long as you don’t care where you’re going"	NEU

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