Sometimes, all of us are Idiots.
Idiots tells the story of Davis (O’Shea Jackson Jr.), a youth worker who’s trying to find his way. When he applies for a job transporting youth to a rehab facility, he find himself working with Mark (Dave Franco), an unqualified loser who desperately needs the cash. The duo begrudgingly accept their assignment and pick up Sheridan Kimberley (Mason Thames), a young (and uber-wealthy) delinquent who needs to turn his life around. But change can’t always be forced and soon their straightforward gig devolves into pandemonium.
Much like its lead characters, Idiots is a wild and reckless ride that still has some redeeming qualities. Written and directed by Macon Blair, the journey of these Idiots is frenetic, leaving a trail of carnage in their wake. The characters are detestably likeable (and likably detestable) and set pieces are often engaging. (For instance, the raid on Best Western is a tonne of fun.) But somehow, the film still feels like its missing… something to take it to the next level.
It’s worth noting that Idiots as a title is slightly misleading. This isn’t Dumb and Dumber or Talladega Nights. These aren’t insane characters that recklessly wreak havoc on a world of sanity (at least, not in the same way as Jim Carrey or Will Ferrell do). Instead, Mark, Davis and Sheridan reveal their stupidity through their wasted potential. They want to survive in a messed-up world but can’t seem to work against their own impulses. In fact, each character has some form of resources at their disposal yet they have burned their bridges to the ground.
“You’re not a bad guy. You just make bad decisions,” Davis is told.
Every one of these men feels like they have the opportunity to turn things around. With a compassionate heart, Davis wants to help others but he can’t seem to get out of his own way. Mark has no sense of purpose so he’s content to sit back and smoke his days away until he can’t pay the bills. (And Jackson Jr. and Franco both do good jobs bringing out the charisma under their confusion.)
And Sheridan? Well, he’s another thing entirely.
With a bottomless bank account, Sheridan is the ultimate authority on white privilege. He’s manipulative and borderline psychotic, expecting his (absent) mommy and daddy to make all the consequences for his actions go away. Credit must also be given to Thames who fully leans into the cool chaos that is Sheridan Kimberley. Best known for his role as Hiccup in the recent remake of How to Train Your Dragon, Thames couldn’t play any further against type as the maniacal minor. Every glance of his eyes feels calculated with Machiavellian mayhem. Even so, there’s just enough of a sympathetic spark to his performance that one hopes for him to be able to change.
And that’s the case for all three leads within the film. For Mark, Sheridan and Davis, change feels impossible (and, potentially, unwanted). However, the events of Idiots force them all to take a hard look at their lives.
Whether or not they can change is a different story.
Now, admittedly, Idiots is a bumpy road trip. While the performances across the board are solid, the film’s dark humour doesn’t always land. Despite some strong comedic banter between Franco and Jackson Jr, the film doesn’t really work as a laugher. (In fact, the film’s best moments come when the characters strip away the chaos and lean into the drama.) It’s hard to pinpoint where the film drives off course… but you just can’t help but feel like it does. While Idiots definitely has its moments, it still feels like there might be some wasted potential within the script as well.
In the end, Idiots has a lot in its favour. O’Shea Jackson Jr. and Franco’s delightful duo and Thames’ disturbing psychopath do their jobs well and Macon’s script has its moments. Still, there’s something about these Idiots that doesn’t leave the viewer fully satisfied with the trip.
Idiots is available in theatres on Friday, August 21st, 2026.
