Not everyone is cut out for even the simplest job. Putting in minimal effort typically doesn’t get people far, but failing upward is more common than it should be. The jobs people take when they’re desperate may actually be quite challenging and high-risk, and that combined with an unqualified candidate can present the perfect storm for disaster. The Shitheads presents just such a scenario, with two dimwitted protagonists both at their nadirs tasked with something that should probably not have been given to someone even with infinitely more skill, leading to predictably wild and unfortunate antics.
Davis (O’Shea Jackson Jr.) is in bad shape. After taking a group of children from church to see the film Antichrist without doing any cursory research into its content or rating, he’s out a job and a van, which presents an issue with his other work transporting children to rehabilitation or juvenile delinquent facilities. When Mark (Dave Franco) is fired from his job as part of a massive reduction in workforce (but somehow not due to his absolute inadequacy), he shows up at just the right time, the perfect fit to work with Davis simply because their boss needs someone who has a car. Their first assignment is Sheridan Kimberly (Mason Thames), a rich kid who likes causing trouble. They don’t get far before he’s taunting both of them and they get stuck with a flat tire, unaware of just how much hell this devil of a kid is going to put them through as they just try to get him to where he’s supposed to go.
Audiences tuning in for this film should expect some craziness since it comes from writer-director Macon Blair, who was previously at Sundance with I Don’t Feel at Home in this World Anymore. This isn’t quite as violent or off-kilter as that film, emphasizing comedy instead. When it does venture into crazier territory, the shift is jarring, and the film goes downhill a bit as a result. Peter Dinklage and Nicholas Braun are generally welcome additions to any project, but their characters take the film in a new direction that shouldn’t be surprising given Blair’s involvement but still feels like a big swing that doesn’t entirely work in the film’s favor.
Its title doesn’t recommend this film as a particularly intellectual exercise, and it’s not. In comparison to Mark, Davis really isn’t all that bad, but he’s had pretty poor luck which has derailed any productive steps he’s taken. The title moniker definitely applies to Mark and also to Sheridan, though the latter might be more accurately described as a psychopath who isn’t just a bad person but rather someone who gets true joy from making other people miserable. It’s easy to root for Davis since he at least means well, but liking the other two protagonists is a definite challenge which this film embraces as it follows their hijinks in a battle between truly stupid and potentially evil.
Much as their characters don’t go together all that well, Jackson and Franco are a great pair who play off each other in an entertaining way. Jackson nails Davis’ broken spirit and his helpless hopefulness, while Franco embraces the worst impulses and traits of the entirely self-serving Mark. Thames is a fun foil for both, infusing Sheridan with such cruel and condescending energy. As a stripper Sheridan manages to convince Mark to have come to their hotel room, Kiernan Shipka adds another memorable personality, far more driven than the other three combined, to the mix.
The Shitheads isn’t concerned with believability or even with coherence, which is both an asset and a demerit. Its plot is free to go wherever and indulge excessive, gross-out content, but it doesn’t always know where to cut the joke. Fortunately, its title offers proper expectations for its seriousness and maturity level, so no one should be going in with the wrong attitude presuming this will be a treatise on morality or a chance for its characters to grow. For those in the market for over-the-top, dumb antics, this film delivers just fine thanks to the efforts of its actors and a general sense of throwing caution to the wind in favor of absolute craziness.
Movie Rating: 6/10
The Shitheads premieres in the Premieres section at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival.
