Review: The King Of Staten Island
Judd Apatow defined comedy for a generation. Introducing us to a new type of raunch-com with vehicles like The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Knocked Up. With it, came a whole generation of comedic actors who swiftly dominated the industry and became writers, directors and producers in their own right. Some of them magically transformed before our very eyes into compelling dramatic actors too. So the question was, would Pete Davidson follow in the footsteps of some of the Apatow legends with his foray into the semi-autobiographical The King of Staten Island.
Davidson has a story to tell for sure. Joining the ranks of the SNL elite in 2014 at the age of 20, Davidson quickly became known as the kid whose dad died in 9/11 and who had a lot of tattoos. His persona became more problematic over time, (including suicide threats and very public break ups) but he brought an edgy youthfulness to the show that drew a lot of attention.
The King of Staten Island mirrors Davidson’s real-life grief. He plays Scott, a 20-something Staten Island native who lives in his mom’s (Marisa Tomei) basement where he smokes weed with his friends and works on his budding tattoo career - practicing on his friends. The death of his dad has become a crutch and a constant topic of conversation when things get hard or he’s trying to make an excuse not to do something constructive with his life, like move out of his mom’s house or get a real job.
There’s a genuine growth in Scott though and it’s hard to dissect where Pete begins and Scott ends (Davidson has boasted about living in his mom’s basement). When he meets his mom’s new boyfriend, Ray, he’s triggered by the fact that he’s also a fireman. But when a series of events leads to Scott living in the firehouse with Ray and his buddies, he’s confronted with a community whose sole purpose is in the service and for the protection of others. This transforms Scott’s perception of his father and motivates him to take a hard look at his life. Pete Davidson might not have the same writing/directing/producing acumen as some of the other Apatow collaborators before him, but he gives an honest performance in this movie and I think it’s even safe to say he might have a promising acting career ahead of him.