You might know Kevin James as the loveable schlub from the CBS sitcom “King of Queens,” but the actor/comedian cranks it up a notch and goes full-gonzo villain for the very first time in Jonathan Milott and Cary Murnion‘s R-rated home invasion thriller “Becky.”
James plays a bearded, bald-headed Nazi in a film that might as well be called “Paul Blart: Last Blood.” The trailer, released today, is the epitome of B-movie grooviness. Quiver Distribution and Redbox Entertainment will be releasing the film via digital/ on-demand release on June 5th.
The official synopsis:
“The film centers on rebellious 14-year-old Becky (Wilson) as she’s brought to a weekend getaway at a lake house by her father in an effort to try to reconnect after her mother’s death. The trip takes a turn for the worse when a group of convicts on the run, led by the merciless Dominick (James), suddenly invade the lake house.”
The saying goes that the hardest part of acting is to make people laugh. Professional actors, the ones doing drama, more times than not, will tell you that doing comedy is tough. James going full-fledged horror here is yet another example of a comedian deciding to play against type and, hopefully, succeeding at it. Comedic actors have always shown tremendous dramatic range I can name endless examples, but the notable ones, those who have succeeded admirably well, include Robin Williams (One Hour Photo), Jim Carrey (The Truman Show), Adam Sandler (Punch Drunk Love), Vince Vaughn (Brawl in Cell Block 99), Steve Carell (Foxcatcher), Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad) and Bill Hader (Barry).
Zeller’s feature debut, “The Father,” was an acclaimed and Oscar-winning film. Many believe he struck out with his sophomore effort, 2022’s critically maligned “The Son.” This is another miss.