“High-concept” has to be one of cinema’s most ironic phrases. One would think it would refer to complicated, cerebral stories. Inception, perhaps, or anything written by Charlie Kaufman. Instead, it’s the “What If?” school of brain-dead salesmanship, with bonus points towards pitches that become the film’s title. “What if there were SNAKES ON A PLANE?” “What if there was a TORNADO FULL OF SHARKS? Hmmm, not snappy enough, we’ll come back to it.”
We’re The Millers explores what would happen if a petty drug dealer (Jason Sudekis) had to recruit a washed-up stripper (Jennifer Aniston, continuing her streak of mediocre, overtly sexual comedies) and two pathetic teenagers (Emma Roberts and Will Poulter) to act as his fake family in order to smuggle drugs out of Mexico. Dodgeball director Rawson Marshall Thurber seems nervous without the brilliant improvisational skills of comedy heavy-hitters like Ben Stiller or Vince Vaughan. He falls back on broad, moronic characters and sex-themed gags that are mean-spirited and often downright creepy.
As the baby-faced underdog “son”, young Son Of Rambow star Will Poulter is a brilliant find; all nervous stuttering and heartfelt rapping to TLC. Unfortunately, he’s placed at the centre of several gross-out sexual gags that feel borderline paedophilic. Close-ups of an 18-year-old’s spider-bitten testicle, anyone? Maternal figure Aniston making out with said 18-year-old? Aren’t there laws against this?
Despite a nice turn from Jason Sudekis, pacing issues and a schizophrenic tone – which veers from unpleasant sitcom to false sentimentality – make for forgettable viewing. Here’s an idea: what if Hollywood stopped treating us like idiots?