The King of Staten Island

"The film does well to capture the particular atmosphere of living somewhere that’s never going to be a destination. Staten Island, no postcode envy. It’s unfortunate, then, that so much of the film is eclipsed by heavy-handed, go-nowhere plotlines, detracting from Davidson’s quick wit and skillful charisma. It’s tonally confused, and the lengthy improv scenes don’t always merit their duration. There are heartwarming moments throughout, there’s no doubt. And I get it, the meandering plot mirrors Scott’s lack of direction. I just wish Apatow had trusted Davidson to steer us through rather than constantly pulling at unnecessary threads."

"It all adds up to a film that is very easy to like, but maybe not one you will really love."

"There are low-key laughs, but as a comedy it’s no gutbuster; there are a handful of nicely observed character moments, but none of the catharsis you’d expect from a drama reckoning with sacrifice and legacy."

"Admittedly, the subject matter is marginally darker and more personal than the Apatow norm. But its references to depression, manic behavior, and suicidal ideation feel shallow in a film that largely follows a conventional comedy arc, albeit at snooze-button speed."

"Apatow has always had a gift for casting. Tomei is expectedly charming and poignant as Scott's beleaguered mom. As Scott's more ambitious kid sister Claire, Maude Apatow, who has grown up onscreen through her father's films, is fantastically focused and fiery, challenging Davidson to rise to her level with every shared scene."

"For its compelling first hour, “The King of Staten Island” is content to ramble along with Scott in a way that’s both authentic and pleasurable."

"There's no doubt that King is lumpy... But it's also frequently winning, and oddly sweet, too; a drastically unhurried dramedy with room to grow"

"The King of Staten Island is not structurally perfect. There is a rather contrived crisis the purpose of which is to bring Claire, Scott and Ray together at last, but there is charm and gentleness in this new stepfamily."

"Davidson, with his gangly limbs and cartoonishly ripe features, plays Scott with roguish charm and a fidgety vulnerability. Scott is obnoxious, but he's redeemed by his transparency — a willingness to wear his wounds close to the surface, just beneath the veneer of jackassery."

"At 136 minutes, The King of Staten Island may strike some as needlessly drag-ass. But Apatow lets the movie breathe without losing its internal dynamism."

"“The King of Staten Island” might lack the lightning-in-a-bottle magic that made Apatow’s first movies such instant cultural touchstones, but this sweet film crystallizes the feeling of being too scared to escape your own shadow."