A Futile and Stupid Gesture
Netflix | Release Date (Streaming): January 26, 2018 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
55
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 15 Critic Reviews
Positive:
6
Mixed:
8
Negative:
1
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
82
TheWrapTodd GilchristJan 25, 2018
Even if the casting choices in portraying some of iconic talents in Kenney’s orbit are occasionally questionable — a detail the film gleefully acknowledges — there’s something delightful about watching actors known for comedy now try to capture the sound or energy of the performers who inspired them. Read full review
75
ConsequenceMichael RoffmanJan 24, 2018
Although the film lacks his absurdism, there’s a musicality to Wain’s direction that’s addicting, and the emotional punch in the final five minutes proves there’s a future for the filmmaker that goes way beyond the yucks. Read full review
75
Chicago Sun-TimesRichard RoeperJan 24, 2018
This is quite possibly the most self-referential, inside-jokey, look-at-how-clever-we-are, off-the-charts Meta Movie I’ve ever seen. Sometimes that’s pretty great. At other times, it detracts from the core story at hand. Read full review
70
IGNAlex WelchJan 26, 2018
Even though the use of one particular plot device ends up feeling unnecessary and Will Forte can often appear miscast in the lead role, A Futile and Stupid Gesture still conjures up enough real emotions and inventive moments to feel like a worthwhile addition to Hollywood’s often tired biopic subgenre. Read full review
70
New York Magazine (Vulture)David EdelsteinJan 25, 2018
It’s not particularly illuminating, but it’s far from futile. Read full review
63
Movie NationRoger MooreJan 30, 2018
Of all the impersonations, Thomas Lennon‘s spot-on send up of the balding, sunglassed cynic Donaghue is the one that dazzles. Matching Belushi’s fearless lunacy or Chevy Chase’s studied pratfalls is trickier on even a “generous” Netflix budget. Read full review
60
SlateEllin SteinFeb 2, 2018
The ironic distancing makes it hard to get emotionally caught up in the sad story of Kenney’s self-destruction when the film enters "Leaving Las Vegas" territory. Read full review
60
The Hollywood ReporterLeslie FelperinJan 31, 2018
Perhaps fittingly given the downturn in the repetitive final act, over the long haul the joke starts getting old in every sense. Read full review
58
The A.V. ClubCharles BramescoJan 25, 2018
While pretty consistently amusing, the film still suffers from a chronic case of Wikipediitis, recreating Kenney’s bullet-point moments as substitution for original wit or drama. Read full review
50
RogerEbert.comBrian TallericoJan 26, 2018
While there’s a bit of hero worship going on that deflates the piece, and Wain’s direction is surprisingly uninspired, the biggest problem is the script that tries to cover too much ground but doesn’t really have that much to say as it does so. Read full review
50
ScreenCrushMatt SingerJan 26, 2018
There are some highlights — mostly the lead performances. Read full review
50
Los Angeles TimesRobert AbeleJan 25, 2018
Wry, head-shaking smiles at bad behavior are many — open laughter is lacking. Wain maintains a frenetic, near-vaudevillian pace, but this is a tribute flick that rejoices in anarchy and tastelessness without being exhilaratingly either thing itself. Read full review
50
IndieWireDavid EhrlichJan 24, 2018
Maybe this is exactly the biopic that Kenney would want, silly and bittersweet and laced with regret. Unfortunately, the film is just good enough to convince us that he deserved better. Read full review
40
The AtlanticDavid SimsJan 26, 2018
A Futile and Stupid Gesture feels like a quick tour of a man’s greatest hits that relies on his accomplishments, rather than any storytelling artistry, to impress the audience. Yes, Kenney was part of a turning point in American satire, but that alone doesn’t make for an interesting film. Read full review
30
VarietyOwen GleibermanJan 25, 2018
Wain made a terrible mistake when he decided to turn Kenney’s story into a goof, a sketch, a riff of threadbare mockery, instead of treating it as a relatively straight movie with laughs. If he had done that, it might have been hilarious, though in an acidly downbeat and far-reaching way. Read full review
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