The King of Staten Island

Written by Judd Apatow, Pete DAvidson & Dave Sirus

Directed by Judd Apatow

Rating: 🏆 most excellent

Scott (Pete Davidson), is a 24-year-old dead beat from Staten Island who is forced to re-evaluate his life when his widowed mother (Marisa Tomei) begins dating a fireman (Bill Burr). The twist is that Scott’s deceased father was a fireman who died on duty and Scott still feels quite traumatized from the event. This trauma has led to an apathetic life of under-achieving and taking out his insecurities and frustration on the people he loves the most.

If you’re a huge fan of Pete Davidson, like me, then you know that IRL Davidson’s father was a FDNY firefighter who died on 9/11. Davidson has been very open about this and even has bits about it in his stand up comedy. His shocking approach to joking about 9/11 has a polarizing affect, but since his connection to the event is so personal and heartbreaking it’s easy to see how these jokes are a coping mechanism to deal with the trauma. The King of Staten Island is a semi-autobiographical film co-written by Davidson, Judd Apatow, and David Sirus and it offers an authentic look inside Davidson’s life and his struggle with trauma, mental health, and addiction. What I enjoyed the most about this movie was the authenticity and the fact that Davidson didn’t try to sugarcoat who he is. We are offered a genuine slice of life movie and I loved every minute of it. Don’t let the cast and director fool you into thinking this is a comedy. It’s more of a slow-burning drama with comedic moments. The King of Staten Island offers heart, quirky comedy, and cathartic healing that tugs at the heartstrings and I can’t recommend it highly enough. 

Review written by Zianna Weston