There’s a moment of stark violence about a third of the way into Macon blair’s “The Shitheads” that risks jarring the audience with its tonal shift. A perfectly timed deadpan line restores the comedic balance, but this push and pull between dark humor and tragedy will become increasingly prominent as the story unfolds.
Initially, the film – a road movie about two hapless individuals tasked with transporting a wealthy teenager to rehab – feels like a throwback to the bromantic, drug-fueled comedies of the 2000s and early 2010s, reminiscent of films starring James Franco (“Pineapple Express,” “This is the End”). Dave Franco plays Mark, a self-deluded loser spiraling downwards, while O’Shea Jackson Jr. embodies Davis,a devout Christian whose need for approval jeopardizes his career. Both men desperately need this job to go right,and it inevitably won’t.
Their charge, Sheridan (Mason Thames), initially presents as a typical rebellious teen, quickly manipulating his guardians with feigned vulnerability. However,following the aforementioned violent incident,this boy reveals a far more complex and unsettling nature.