By Mark Saldana
Rating: 3 (Out of 4 Stars)
One of my first films of this year’s festival was a rather amusing comedy that reminds me of “slacker” comedies from the 90s (Clerks, Reality Bites, Kicking and Screaming). As a man who went through his late teens and twenties during that era, I rather enjoyed this throwback experience that involves a trio of twenty-something adults who are lost and seeking an easy way out of their mundane lives. With sharply written dialogue and solid performances by the cast A Bad Idea Gone Wrong proves to be a fun idea for a movie.
Slacker buddies Marlon (Matt Jones) and Leo (Will Rogers) have been searching for a big score to solve their financial problems. Leo approaches Marlon with plans to burglarize the home of a well-to-do young couple in a wealthy neighborhood. Reluctant at first, Marlon eventually agrees as Leo makes a strong case in favor of the heist. However, these inept and inexperienced burglars make a critical error after easily entering the home. They mistakenly arm the home’s security system and lock themselves in the house. Desperate to escape before the owners return home, Marlon and Leo try to figure out a solution to their problem, but things get worse when they find a house sitter named Darcy (Eleanore Pienta) asleep in one of the beds.
Written and directed by Jason Headley, A Bad Idea Gone Wrong features solid performances by the cast and some funny moments throughout the story. Not all of the humor worked well for me, but enough did to keep me entertained. My favorite aspect has to be the well-written and performed dialogue among the film’s acting trio. All three have a great chemistry and all bring amiable qualities to their characters, despite the silly ineptitude of their plans. It is a movie that fans of 90s slacker comedies are sure to enjoy.