‘Observe And Report’ Is The Most Disturbing Comedy From The 2000s
10 Words or Fewer Summary: Delusional mall security guard takes job way too seriously.
By Ted Pillow
One of the most eccentric and disturbing comedies to receive a major release in recent memory, Observe and Report is both deplorable and hilarious, off-putting and thought-provoking.
With the precision of a heartless sniper aiming at helpless prey, writer-director Jody Hill switches targets with ease; the joke goes from being on the main character, to those around him, to the audience, with everything culminating in one of the most bizarre and grotesque endings ever filmed.
The cast is effectively despicable, the subject matter (power, violence, addiction, insanity) sufficiently unpleasant, and the overall result delightfully black. Although short, the film plays slow at times, and occasionally misses the mark, but the shortcomings don’t overshadow a refreshing refusal to follow convention or pander to broader audience tastes. Makes for a perverse double-feature with Paul Blart: Mall Cop.
Perhaps John Anderson, a professional film critic, can convince you: “Given that the ordinarily likable Seth Rogen is portraying a delusional, violent, sexist, racist, homophobic mall cop with a bipolar disorder, there’s not really a lot to laugh at.”
Wait, I don’t think he liked it. Let’s try this one form Wesley Morris at the Boston Globe: “‘Observe and Report,’ which opens today and stars Seth Rogen, has been pre-mocked as ‘Paul Blart 2.’ But this new movie is crazier, scarier, funnier, and more bewildering. It’s the strangest movie I expect to see from a Hollywood studio for the rest of the year.”
You can stream Observe and Report on Max and Prime Video.
