Two college roommates decide to get high and order a pizza. Sounds simple enough, but when they get high on an experimental hallucinogen, this turns a simple plan into a bizarre, absurd quest. Gaten Matarazzo (Stranger Things) and Sean Giambrone star as Jack and Montgomery, two college misfits frustrated by their social status.
While Montgomery is painfully shy and awkward, Jack’s brash, loudmouth tendencies often rub people the wrong way. Frustrated, bored, and craving some fun, the two buddies decide to sample an experimental drug they discover in their dorm room. The wild and ridiculous hallucinations they experience can only be remedied with pizza. And that’s when the real adventure begins.
Writer/directors Brian McElhaney and Nick Kocher’s Pizza Movie is entertaining overall, with so many wildly imaginative concepts and hallucinatory sequences. There really isn’t much depth to the characters, and their journey is typical coming-of-age fare. After watching the ludicrous scenarios for a while, the jokes and gags do become redundant, and the movie eventually runs out of steam in landing all of its humor. The cast is solid enough, though their characters are particularly well-written.
Still, the SXSW audience I watched this movie with seemed to really enjoy it. I had fun with insanity, too, but I can definitely recognize its weaknesses and limitations. It is a perfectly fine feature to enjoy at home with a hot pizza. Pizza Movie is now available for streaming on Hulu.