The King of Staten Island (2020)

My Review

“The King of Staten Island” is a coming-of-age film about a young man who must become accustomed to his mother dating another man after the death of his father. Director Judd Apatow (“Trainwreck” 2015) put together this black comedy-drama film based on the life of comedian Pete Davidson. The screenplay was written by Apatow, Davidson, and Dave Sirus, with mixed results. There are some comedic moments, albeit dark, along with the film’s uneven pacing and lackluster performances.

The cast includes Pete Davidson, Marisa Tomei, Steve Buscemi, Bill Burr, Bel Powley, Pamela Adlon, Jimmy Tatro, Robert Smigel, and Maude Apatow (daughter of Judd Apatow and Leslie Mann). The unwatchable “The King of Staten Island” was unsuccessful at the box office, probably due to release during the Covid19 pandemic of 2020. It was a product of Apatow Productions, Perfect World Pictures, and Universal Pictures, and filmed, appropriately enough, in the borough of Staten Island, New York City, New York.