Step Brothers (2008)

Two grown men screaming at each other over a drum set for 98 minutes: that’s Step Brothers, start to finish. No arc you’d notice, no lesson, just Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly fighting over bedroom territory like it’s a custody battle. A good chunk of the dialogue would get this page grounded, and when the improv misses, it misses at full volume. When it connects, though, it’s ridiculous. The job interview where they show up in matching tuxedos is a tiny masterpiece. Their business, Prestige Worldwide, gets a logo long before a product. Richard Jenkins plays the dad like a man watching his retirement get eaten alive. Adam Scott plays the golden-boy younger brother who belts out rock songs in the family car, and he’s so smug the throw pillows start looking like ammunition. A reported $65M budget turned into $128.1 million worldwide. A 6.4 because Ferrell and Reilly are perfectly matched and the volume knob is broken. $5.24 says your next job interview outfit includes at least one thing you’d wear to a wedding.

What works: Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly’s total commitment, Richard Jenkins’ deadpan, and a few perfect set pieces like the tuxedo job interviews.

What doesn’t: It’s mostly yelling with no real story, and a lot of the improvised jokes are crude and run long.

Who it’s for: Adults who quote comedies at each other for years, and anybody who once shared a bedroom with a sibling they couldn’t stand.