Dave Franco and O’Shea Jackson Jr. deliver a fun and chaotic performance in this comedy-thriller review

Dir: Macon Blair. US. 2026. 100mins

Two dimwits with the enthusiasm of overcooked spaghetti take to the road in The Shitheads, an exhilarating comedy-thriller that combines character chaos with unexpected emotional depth. Directed by Macon Blair—whose sharp eye for absurdity isn’t just an aesthetic choice—this sweetly dysfunctional film pairs nihilistic Dave Franco with the golden retriever energy of O’Shea Jackson Jr., as they navigate their windswept adventure with a delightful sociopath named Mason Thames in tow.

A rich tapestry of chaos and vigor.

Blair gained notoriety by grabbing Sundance’s 2017 Grand Jury Prize, and he’s back with a film that’s cut from the same chaotic cloth. Franco and Jackson promise to attract audiences like moths to dark comedy flames. With rave reviews unfolding at Sundance, it’s almost certain that buyers are already scrambling for this rollicking B-movie filled with both heart and hilarity.

Meet Davis (Jackson Jr.), a pleasantly naive, pseudo-religious type, and Mark (Franco), a walking disaster. Tasked with ferrying a rich teenager named Sheridan (Thames) to rehab, they quickly learn that their charge isn’t your typical troubled soul—no, he’s more of a social media celebrity for the wrong reasons. Turns out, he’s not detoxing from drugs; he’s just a spoiled brat who thinks burning down bohemian neighborhoods is totally Instagrammable.

The real amusement in The Shitheads lies in watching these two knuckleheads stumble through their unfortunate predicament. Davis’s heart is as big as his naivety; meanwhile, Mark decides to embody the emotional range of a rubber band ball despite his unflattering range of poor decisions. Their unending bickering brings laughter peppered with existential dread, elevating their simple tasks to a Shakespearean level of folly.

As anyone could predict, this “easy” job spirals into a vortex of chaos and unforeseen obstacles. Mark and Davis find themselves outmaneuvered by their own teenage hostage, who’s somehow a mental chess champion while they’re still trying to figure out how to checkmate their dead-end lives. Thames makes for a worthy adversary, showcasing his darker side that involves more than just making TikToks about setting things on fire.

But wait, there’s more! Amidst shootouts and fights that belong in a twisted comic book, you’ll also find an unexpected sprinkling of grotesque humor and drug-related shenanigans. The film careens off the rails without ever really derailing—its trajectory is erratic yet oddly captivating. One standout moment? When Irina (Kiernan Shipka) enters the scene as Mark’s misguided night of drunken debauchery unfolds. Initially written off as a surface-level gag, Shipka layers in a surprising depth that cleverly critiques wealth disparity.

In a deliciously ironic twist, the very super-fans who idolize Sheridan—led by a wildly energetic Peter Dinklage—resort to cartoonish violence to “rescue” him from the grips of these two lovable losers. It’s as if Blair invites you to witness the absurdity of modern society through his lens, reminding us that beneath the glossy surface, chaos, humor, and humanity thrive. Although Davis and Mark are far from poster boys for success, their clumsy attempts to rise above their grim circumstances offer a surprisingly warm, gritty resonance amidst the madness.