The Big Picture

The Gutter
is a welcome resurrection of absurd 90s and early 2000s comedy styles like
Dodgeball
and
Anchorman
.
Either you’re on its “silly AF” wavelength or left behind, as the kids say.
Shameik Moore is a natural comedic lead, but we already knew that from his past work, including the incredible
Dope
.

Appreciators of 1990s and early 2000s comedies, rejoice! Isaiah and Yassir Lester’s The Gutter is Happy Gilmore but with bowling, PornHub sponsorships, and way more “uncomfortable” racial comedy. “But isn’t that just Kingpin?” That’s a fair question, and not really. The Gutter is far sillier and cares less about the sport, and yes, I’m saying that in the context of having seen Kingpin. The Gutter is essentially Kingpin by way of Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story meets a Wayans family production. Everyone gets roasted, everyone is a target, and as the Lesters said in their pre-screening introduction (by jabbing at the Joe Rogans of the comedy scene), there’s no censorship in comedy. You can still say whatever you want — as long as you’re funny.

The Gutter (2024) Walt lands work at bowling alley AlleyCatz, he’s pressured to embrace his bowling talent, sparking backlash from detractors seeking to undermine his sudden pro success.Release Date March 12, 2024 Director Isaiah Lester , Yassir Lester Runtime 89 Minutes Main Genre Comedy Writers Yassir Lester

What Is ‘The Gutter’ About?
Shameik Moore escapes from Sony’s animated Spider-Verse franchise to star as the walking Human Resources nightmare Walt, the newest bartender at Mozell’s (Jackée Harry) rundown AlleyCatz bowling alley. After getting disastrous feedback from a local building inspector (played by Adam Brody), Mozell is given 60 days to complete $200,000 worth of renovations or AlleyCatz will close. While everyone is brainstorming how to raise money, it’s revealed that Walt is a natural bowler despite never having rolled in his life. Ex-pro and AlleyCatz’s resident drunk “Skunk” (D’Arcy Carden) decides to coach Walt through professional tournaments and hopefully raise enough money to save AlleyCatz, which he does (on his own terms). It’s easy pickings at first as Walt bowls over the competition, but there’s one problem — unstoppable champion Linda Curson (Susan Sarandon) comes out of retirement and seeks to destroy Walt’s phenomenal streak.

To say BASEketball cares more about the sports aspect of sports comedies than The Gutter says plenty about the Lesters’ focus. Walt’s unconventional rolling methods, including windmill wind-ups or high-arc tosses, would be shunned by Pete Weber. Whenever a ball rolls down the lane, the camera cuts to a strike, no matter the trajectory. That’s not bad; it’s just more of a warning to anyone who might tune in for the competition aspect. The Gutter is as serious as a Scary Movie and only cares about taking shots at every ethnicity, behavior, and class — anything that can be mocked will be mocked. Inappropriately. Without a filter.

Walt’s journey from shirtless bartender (an employment stipulation) to unlikely strike machine is consistently funny, propelled by Moore’s goofball performance. Shades of younger Martin Lawrence and Marlon Wayans roles can be seen in his comedic delivery, from the second he drops a ridiculous resume with “Buffalo Wingdings” font usage. The Lesters toy with every type of comedy — physical, satirical, parody, prop, insult — and somehow come out with a favorable ratio of hits to misses. That’s thanks to the outrageous presence of Walt, who demands to enter SLOB (Super League of Bowlers) with a stage name and extravagant costumes like he’s a professional wrestler. He’s always donning a different persona and demanding novelty-sized checks, allowing Moore to peacock as a comedian who could easily slot into any Judd Apatow-era laugh riot.

‘The Gutter’ Has a Great Supporting Cast of Comedy Stars
Image via SXSW

The Gutter will keep audiences laughing with impressive consistency as a stupid-as-hell comedy that doesn’t care about plucking low-hanging fruits because funny is funny. Beyond Moore, Carden cements her post-The Good Place comedic strengths as a drunkard who slurs from the hip and always has a beer can in her hand. Sarandon shows up with tattoos and a badass attitude, lapping up attention as muscly boy toys fawn all over their cigarette-puffing goddess. Paul Reiser gets to play “Bowling Lives Matter” broadcaster Angelo, whose stuffy white-guy commentary is always dangerously close to being outright offensive (mimicking real-life commentators who can’t handle a predominantly white sport having a person of color take center stage). Humor is consistently off-beat, but everyone is selling their stereotypes with aplomb, leaning into what should be outright ridiculed when it comes to skewering casual societal racism. Everyone gets a turn, and lines are delivered by a roster of notably amusing individuals, including Rell Battle (soapbox activist Brother Candy), Paul Scheer (Walt’s sunburnt southern-drawlin’ opponent), Nelson Franklin (an opponent with a sob story), and other bit players.

However, comedy is subjective, and The Gutter will go down like roach poison to some. My appreciation for Carden’s boozy brand of incompetent mentorship or a vengeful (fake) bird attack will not tickle everyone’s humor profile, for example. The Lesters squeeze what seems like seven jokes into every line of dialogue, opening themselves to the reality where some fall flat as pancakes. You can’t throw everything at the wall and expect it all to stick, and The Gutter is an extreme example. A hilarious funeral scene with a howling Mozell transitions into a reunion between once frustrated characters that doesn’t find its comedic rhythm — but at least these periodic lulls are over quickly.

The Gutter demands that you’re on its wavelength, but once you’re there, it’s like continual machine gun fire the way jokes and sight gags fly off the screen. The Lesters create something politically incorrect but frequently hilarious, because throwing comedic punches is an equal-opportunity game. It’s asinine, slapstick, unapologetic, and a breath of fresh air compared to Hollywood’s current (and dwindling) comedy landscape. No one is actively trying to push buttons or be edgy for edginess’ sake, nor is anyone trying to prove or disprove what you can get away with by today’s hyper-online standards — it’s just funny people being funny. The Gutter is an example of what people argue can’t be made today. Yet, here it is, playing to gut-busting laughter in packed festival theaters, uniting audiences by roasting every individual likeness on screen.

The Gutter (2024) REVIEWThe Gutter feels like the comedies that used to be released on DVD in the late 90s and early 2000s; the kind of humor your mom would shake her head at if she caught a few minutes, while you laughed hysterically with your friends in the basement.ProsFunny is what funny does, no matter the material.Melds pro-bowling with pro-wrestling theatrics, and that?s a good thing.Shameik Moore and D’Arcy Carden are comedy gold together. ConsThe Gutter tries so many jokes it?s bound to miss a few times, and it does.If you?re not on its wavelength, you?re in trouble.Its approach to humor can be overwhelmingly stupid, mostly meant as a compliment, but sometimes is just that.

The Gutter had its World Premiere at the 2024 SXSW Film & TV Festival.