The Gutter, 2024.
Directed by Isaiah Lester and Yassir Lester.
Starring Shameik Moore, D’Arcy Carden, Susan Sarandon, Paul Reiser, Jay Ellis, Langston Kerman, Kim Fields, Jackée Harry, Paul Scheer, Kathy Ann Wittes, Tony Baker, Rell Battle, Adam Brody, Nelson Franklin, Carissa Kosta, Monique Lea-Gall, Jay Light, Kourosh Parsapour, and Adam Pally.
SYNOPSIS:
Walt lands work at bowling alley AlleyCatz. He’s pressured to embrace his bowling talent, which sparks backlash from detractors seeking to undermine his sudden pro success.
From brothers Isaiah Lester and Yassir Lester (with only the latter writing the screenplay), The Gutter is often astoundingly dumb in its silliness. It’s the kind of movie so ridiculous and impossible to take seriously that it can get away with jokes about sexual harassment (dished out by both genders), misogyny, alcoholism, unflattering stereotypes, and Beavis and Butthead levels of character stupidity, all packaged and something pleasantly reminiscent of early Wayans brothers comedies.
Walt (Shameik Moore, expanding from comedic dramas like Dope and phenomenal voiceover work as the Miles Morales Spider-Man into pure goofball energy and thriving in the process) doesn’t have a job. The film also wastes no time showing us why he doesn’t have a job with an amusing montage of firings on behalf of dimwitted behavior, the kind that makes one think no one could be this stupid but also plants the flag of the tone to come. That montage comes while being interviewed by Mozell (Jackée Harry), the owner of a dirty bowling alley that has just received an F upon health code inspections and is in danger of being shut down forever (it was either this or a gun store as her preferred business choice.) Walt also comes onto her with a dumb but harmless level of confidence that makes him likable enough to get some undesired position that needs filling.
Former bowling star turned alcoholic Skunk (D’Arcy Carden) frequents the joint, often getting drunk as early as the morning. She strikes up a friendship with Walt, also stumbling into a discovery that he is a bowling prodigy, almost exclusively hitting strikes no matter what kind of trick shot he deploys. Part of his training also involves dancing in the lane (which makes no sense) because walking in the lane is too challenging. It takes some slight convincing, but she encourages him that if he goes pro, he will not only be able to save the bowling alley but also become rich while breaking several astonishing records set by Susan Sarandon’s legendary bowler Linda Curson.
It’s not long before Walt is entering competitions, complete with an absurd shirt made up of stickers of companies he hopes to promote him in the future, with #1 on that wish list being Porn Hub (he is also someone who types www.porn into the search bar with a smile, in case it wasn’t clear this guy is incredibly dumb but charming.) He also instantly starts spending his winnings on things he probably doesn’t need, although the visual gag of a humongous TV in a tiny, cramped room with him sitting right in front of it is gold. Walt also tries to give back to the community, including two cousins with some goofy nicknames inaccurately describing their personalities.
Noteworthy comedic presences such as Paul Scheer pop in as opponents are amusingly stunned at how such a clown is so gifted at bowling. Meanwhile, Skunk chases after a self-professed antifeminist who believes women shouldn’t be allowed to drive rather than coaching Walt. Naturally, he doesn’t need that coaching until something goes haywire to the point he thinks something is wrong with his balls.Â
It is as simple as admitting that most of the dumb jokes here are effective, eliciting laughter. The act of watching Walt bowling is also hilarious. However, The Gutter questionably shifts into something more story-focused when Linda Curson arrives. Susan Sarandon is terrific in the role of a sexually charged, egotistical, emotionally closed-off bowler, but the film also adds a personal layer to these character dynamics, which also redirects the primary focus away from comedy. Before you know it, the usual clichés arrive, such as Walt and Skunk bickering and temporarily breaking off the friendship, all as the movie builds to a crucial final matchup of heavy consequences.
However, there is still some laughter scattered throughout the second half of The Gutter. Shameik Moore’s genuinely charming and wacky performance and amusing chemistry with everyone he interacts with also elevate the proceedings. There is a funny running gag where Walt only wants to be presented with a big check upon winning a competition; this film doesn’t quite earn a recommendation of that size, but it’s worthwhile for anyone who appreciates impossibly dumb characters and humor.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★
Robert Kojder is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association and the Critics Choice Association. He is also the Flickering Myth Reviews Editor. Check here for new reviews, follow my Twitter or Letterboxd, or email me at [email protected]
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