TIFF Review: An Entertaining Ensemble Powers the Wacky ‘Riff Raff’

How important is it to share secrets from your past with the people who matter most to you? Especially in the case of second marriages later in life, there can be a desire to start fresh and not let previous misdeeds derail a good thing that might be best conducted with no mention of unfortunate past actions. But that can lead to unexpected and problematic surprises, like mobsters showing up at your vacation home to settle a fresh wound on an old score that, more than likely, is going to impact a few innocent bystanders. That’s the hook for Riff Raff, an ensemble comedy that features an extended family dynamic that’s not all that functional.

DJ (Miles J. Harvey) is up in Maine with his mother Sandy (Gabrielle Union) and stepfather Vince (Ed Harris). The sudden arrival of Vince’s older son Rocco (Lewis Pullman) with his pregnant girlfriend Marina (Emanuela Postacchini) and his apparently drugged mother Ruth (Jennifer Coolidge), Vince’s first wife, creates a good deal of awkwardness in the house as well as questions about what they’re doing there. As they slowly sort out what’s going on, Lefty (Bill Murray) and Lonnie (Pete Davidson) ask questions but don’t bother taking names, leaving a trail of dead bodies on their way to find Rocco and make him pay for an unforgivable offense.

This film comes from director Dito Montiel, no stranger to working with stacked ensembles following his debut, A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints. Screenwriter John Pollono’s past feature credits, Stronger and Small Engine Repair, don’t at all suggest this follow-up, which is a comedy anchored by DJ’s precocious narration and a general air of foolishness on the part of those around him. There’s so much more that could be understood and accomplished if only people bothered to communicate with each other and offer help at the right moment, but it’s much more fun to see everyone do the wrong thing and get into trouble as a result.

Riff Raff really does have a formidable ensemble, making great use of all of its cast members. Harvey is a true find, working regularly from a young age and more than holding his own opposite much more well-known performers. The same is true of Postacchini, who infuses some rare optimism into this film’s otherwise generally negative energy, and has good chemistry with Pullman. Harris is dependably grumpy and Murray, while subdued, is still quite funny, while Davidson is used just as he should be, getting a share of great dialogue but not distracting too much from the other actors. In a smaller part, Union is fierce and memorable, landing her big moments, and Coolidge hones into a part that feels tailor-made for her, different enough from her most famous roles but still allowing her to use her signature self-deprecating humor.

This film’s title indicates that it’s meant to a be a bit of a mess, and while much of that is in service of entertainment value, it likely could have been moderately tighter in execution and worked all that much better. There are no major twists that audiences shouldn’t see coming, and the emphasis is always on the comedy of the situation, even if that involves characters getting to decide who they like least so they can be the ones to die first. It doesn’t take itself all that seriously, which serves to enhance its funny moments but weakens some of the scenes that could have been more dramatically effective. Riff Raff is good fun about bad people almost getting what they deserve, a perfectly enjoyable if relatively forgettable use of time.

Movie Rating: 6/10

Awards Buzz: Though Coolidge is red-hot following her two Emmy wins for The White Lotus and this film gives her plenty to do, it’s probably not serious enough for Oscar voters to consider. But given the talent involved, it’s always possible another awards body could find a way to celebrate it.