The King of Staten Island

Unlike many of his former and current co-stars, Davidson is actually not a virtuosic comedy actor; he may not even be an actor in the traditional sense. Beyond his undoubtedly unique physical look — the clumsy, lumbering nonverbal cues, the gazing eyes, and the almost caricature-like smile — what is his purpose? Why is he even present?

The assumption behind Judd Apatow's The King of Staten Island would be that viewers would grow to admire Davidson for his humility - the lost-little-boy aura that has been the key to Apatow trademarks ever since his breakthrough triumph directing Steve Carell in The Forty-Year-Old Virgin. The film, written by Apatow, Davidson, and fellow comedian Dave Sirius, includes pieces of Davidson's real-life tales, as if to indicate what would have happened to him if he hadn't been so fortunate.

While the themes may seem familiar, this is a far cry from the upmarket showbiz environment in which Apatow is most comfortable, and hence, The King of Staten Island seems to be much more subdued than his prior works (the designated category of the movie is "comedy-drama", after all).

Year of Release: 2020

Stars: Peter Davidson, Marisa Tomei, Bill Burr

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 75%