★★☆☆☆
John Brownell makes his directorial debut with Coin, a comedy that feels like a stoner comedy—without the stoners. It follows more in the footsteps of A Night at the Roxbury, crafting a story about two dimwitted slackers whose harebrained scheme quickly spirals out of control.
The film’s premise has the potential to be a fun, witty, and enjoyable comedy, but the final product lacks the tenacity, humor, and performances needed to pull it off.
“An interesting concept that ultimately falls short because of its execution and lack of a clear creative vision.”
The script feels bland. While the premise of two dimwits launching a campaign for a real estate mogul to run for governor instead of remaining mayor in order to save their beloved childhood nature trails has potential, the lack of wit and humor throughout leaves the screenplay feeling uninspired—more like a storyboard outline than a fully realized script.
The characters are two-dimensional. There’s no development, arc, or real personality to them. For comparison, Harold & Kumar worked because its leads had personality and wit. Harold was a relatable pushover, while Kumar was the slacker with untapped potential—the witty, intelligent, and pushy friend we all know. Spicoli is hilarious, witty, and lovable because he has personality, even if it’s simple. The Butabi brothers, while dimwitted and shallow, had charisma. Billy and Ricky, by comparison, feel underdeveloped and flat.
“The screenplay feels more like a storyboard outline than a fully realized script.”
Luis Manuel Peña’s cinematography is loose and rarely feels properly framed.
For a comedy, emotionally elegant compositions—or at least visual choices that enhance the comedic beats—are important.
Clerks is a perfect example. Even though the camera rarely moves, every shot is deliberately framed. It doesn’t need flashy camerawork because every composition serves the scene.
In Coin, the cinematography feels as if it’s borrowing from Wes Anderson’s style without embracing the heightened, stage-play tone that makes that style work.
The camera only really draws attention to itself during one or two emotional moments, and even then, those scenes likely would have played more naturally without the emphasized camerawork.
Diego Ratto’s score is loud, abrupt, and completely out of tone, offering little to the film beyond a sense of disconnect.
The score is constantly present, yet it never enters with purpose. Instead of complementing the film, it repeatedly interrupts it.
“The score repeatedly interrupts the film instead of complementing it.”
Danny Breslin’s and Tyler Picchi’s performances aren’t bad, but they’re not particularly good either.
There are scenes where the dialogue falls so flat that you can see the actors reciting words rather than inhabiting the characters.
To their credit, it’s clear they’re trying to bring Billy and Ricky to life instead of simply playing themselves on screen.
However, they never quite find the charisma needed to elevate these lackluster characters into anchors capable of carrying the film.
It all comes full circle to Brownell’s direction, which feels indecisive.
The film is all over the place in its tone, structure, and execution. Nothing feels like it’s operating on the same page or flowing together naturally.
Some supporting characters are played as grounded satire, while others feel as though they’ve wandered in from an exploitation film. The result is an inconsistent mix that never settles into a coherent identity.
Coin offers an interesting concept that ultimately falls short because of its execution and lack of a clear creative vision.
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