Welcome to the strange, bizarre, and laugh out loud world of Riff Raff. This black comedy from director Dito Montiel brings together an all-star cast at the remote vacation home of reformed criminal Vince. We find Ed Harris as the head of the blended family, which includes stepson DJ, played with charming naivety by Miles Harvey.
Their holiday plans are interrupted by the arrival of Vince’s erratic son Rocco, his heavily pregnant girlfriend, and his drunken ex-wife Ruth—played with expert comedic timing by Jennifer Coolidge.
It soon emerges Rocco is in trouble, hunted by gangster Lefty Murray and his dim associate Lonnie, played perfectly by Pete Davidson. Beneath the humor lies a deeper exploration of family bonds tested to breaking point. As past mistakes are dragged into the light, these “undesirables” must come together against a threat that shakes the New England countryside.
Montiel uses flashbacks to brilliant effect, building a complicated portrait of a modern family in all its dysfunctional glory. With twists around every corner and laugh-out-loud dialogue delivered by a stellar ensemble, strap in for a wild and unpredictable ride with Riff Raff.
Expect the Unexpected: Untangling the Twists and Turns of Riff Raff
We’re introduced to reformed criminal Vince, now enjoying family life with stepson DJ and wife Sandy. Their New Year’s plans are interrupted by the arrival of Vince’s wayward son Rocco, heavily pregnant girlfriend Marina, and drunken ex-girlfriend Ruth. Rocco’s unexpected appearance sets the wheels in motion, and as it emerges, he’s being hunted by gangster Lefty and his dimwitted sidekick Lonnie.
Flashbacks reveal Lefty seeks vengeance for Rocco killing his son Jonathan. Meanwhile, tensions rise as Rocco’s reckless behavior threatens their remote vacation home. Vince’s own criminal past also surfaces, pulling this fractured clan into deeper turmoil.
With Lefty and Lonnie closing in, it’s not long before the family learns they’re the target of Lefty’s lethal mission. As conflicts between blood and marriage come to an end, the stakes escalate for their survival against the incoming threat. But will past mistakes and varying allegiances prevent this dysfunctional bunch from uniting in their hour of need?
Bursting with twists, the rising action takes them to a convenience store, where Lefty snaps, exposing his true motive. Their safe house is also compromised by two meddlesome neighbors. As trouble locates them and the body count climbs, this unpredictable ensemble finds them fighting for their lives in increasingly dramatic fashion. Though the path is far from smooth, together, can they rise above past transgressions to escape the darkness descending?
Masterfully Balanced Tones
Dito Montiel shows his directing prowess with Riff Raff, finding equilibrium between comedy and thrills. Comedy springs from this family’s dysfunction, yet flashbacks skillfully flesh out their past. We see how mistakes reverberate down generations and trauma permeates relationships.
This skill proves pivotal as tensions mount. Isolated on their rural estate, vulnerabilities are exposed. Yet amid tensions, Montiel locates humanity. Even villains seem victims of their histories to Montiel’s empathetic eye.
Shooting on location enhances this effect. Their remote homestead accentuates the impending danger’s menace gripping closer. Yet countryside vistas convey the peace they desire, elusive as threats descend.
Navigating tight quarters as the body count rises, Montiel maintains balance. Precise dialogue and fast quips undermine impending violence. Even bloody sequences play for laughs through characters’ absurd bravado.
Through Montiel’s prudent hand, complex characters remain so. Sympathetic even when loathsome, as all strive to escape dark pasts. A testament to his mastery of handling intricate relationships under pressure.
Riff Raff’s triumph stems from Montiel steadily guiding shifting tones. Comedy lightens darkness seeping between families’ fissures. Subtle yet skilled, he finds poignancy among madness through fine direction.
The Strength of the Ensemble
Montiel is gifted in his casting, finding actors who breathe life into Pollono’s captivating script. Ed Harris imbues Vince with stoicism, masking contradictions. We feel his desire for normalcy battling demons never far beneath.
Coolidge is a revelation as the free-spirited Ruth. Blending crassness and vulnerability, her commanding screen presence drives rumbling comedy. Yet empathy for her lost soul remains.
Lewis Pullman smolders as the explosive Rocco. Opposite Murray’s sarcastic Lefty, their friction crackles, two rivals whose fates intertwine. Murray plays cynicism with sharp wit; their scenes are a highlight.
But the real discovery, Miles Harvey, steals the heart. His innocent DJ grounds chaos swallowing his family, fishing for logic amid dysfunction. Subtle yet stirring, he anchors our emotions through the fire.
Among supporting stars like Gabrielle Union and Pete Davidson, each finding nuance within mayhem, the ensemble brings this sprawling world to vibrant life. Their lived-in chemistry feels hard won, a testament to trust built under Montiel’s guidance. Together they weave an unforgettable, ruefully humorous tapestry exploring family’s complexities.
Blood is Thicker Yet Bonds are Fraying
Riff Raff delves into the complexities of family—those we’re born with and the ones we choose. Threads connecting this brood are tested by crises borne from history never put to bed.
Montiel spotlights dysfunction, sealing festering wounds and scars defining relationships. Past errors still shape the present as secrets surface. We see harm wrought across generations and debts demanding payment.
Criminality entwines fatherhood, responsibilities shirked or shouldered. Notions of masculinity evolve through reckonings with what came before. Harmony hides behind closed doors, disruptions stirring discord.
Yet even as kin turn upon each other, primal instincts endure. Bonds, once forged, can’t be sundered so easily. Through turbulence, these estranged relations rediscover what’s worth preserving, coming together for a higher good.
Montiel finds poignancy amid the grave crimes and dark mirth. His insights remind us that families, however fractured, remain a refuge, however improvised. And we’re all works in progress, with legacies still unfolding. Riff Raff pierces the facades concealing our shared fragilities beneath.
Laughter Amid the Madness
Under Riff Raff’s murky depths lies a bounty of belly laughs. Wit flows faster than the blood as Montiel interweaves humor into each crevice of mayhem. From the get-go, we’re immersed in crazed kin sparring with barbs sharper than bullets.
Pollono’s dialogue zings with impeccable comedic timing. Scenes like Lefty and Lonnie encountering the chatty neighbors had me howling, the pair’s malicious misadventures a highlight. Coolidge too excels at riling laughter from dysfunction, transforming unease to entertainment.
Montiel ensures mirth buffers darkness seeping between familial fractures. No matter tensions’ intensity, some quip lifts spirits. Even amid violence we chuckle, absurdist bravado softening blows. Comedy becomes catharsis, a release for horrors fictional and felt.
Through it all, we’re enthralled, drawn deeper into the depths of kinship. Across rewatches new hilarity surfaces, details previously murky blossoming. Its blend inspires, showing how disparate tones intersect in life. Darkness lightens through togetherness and talk’s power to transmute trauma.
Riff Raff proves a rewarding revisit and one of the year’s most purely pleasurable. For its balance of laughs and strains, it deserves celebration among fans of boundary-pushing, mood-whiplashing movies. Through genius genre-blending, Montiel crafts a modern cult classic.
Laughter, Loyalty and Madness: A Riff Raff Retrospective
Riff Raff excels as an expertly executed blend of genres. Montiel navigates shifting tones with finesse, Pollono’s script bursting with humor. An unforgettable ensemble brings complexity to every manner of Kin, anchoring us in this maelstrom of mayhem.
Core themes resonate—family’s primal bonds surviving whatever fractures between, even amid moral quandaries each must confront from yesteryear. Montiel locates poignancy in the darkest of places through an astute understanding of what connects us.
Most especially, it leaves me chuckling at memories of Coolidge’s genius, transfixing us with every impromptu outburst. Hers is a gift that, like this film, deserves celebration among the most entertaining of its form.
“We’re still family, for better or worse,” Ruth utters, cutting to Riff Raff’s heart. Montiel crafts a gem to cherish, reminders that through shared merriment and fellowship, we weather whatever madness awaits beyond the curtain, together.
The Review
Riff Raff
With a superb cast breathing life into Pollono's intricately authored characters, Riff Raff excels as a thoughtful comedy that warms your heart as much as it tickles your funny bone. Montiel's skillful direction ensures the imperfect but profoundly human family at its center manages to find light even in their darkest of days. masterfully balancing unyielding hilarity with poignant introspection on the ties that bind us unconditionally together.
PROS
- Excellent ensemble cast who bring great depth and humor to their roles
- Witty writing and fast-paced dialogue keep the story highly entertaining.
- Provided insightful social commentary on modern families and human relationships
- Director balanced tones of drama, thriller, and comedy very effectively.
- Great rewatch value due to subtle details and foreshadowing
CONS
- Tonal shifts late in the film felt slightly jarring for some viewers.
- Predictability of some plot points took away suspense.
- Pacing slowed in parts without advancing the overarching plot.
- Low budget/indie film feel may not appeal to all audiences.
- Over-reliance on flashbacks at times instead of showing in chronological order
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