Riff Raff (2025) is directed by Dito Montiel and written by John Pollono. It stars Ed Harris, Miles J. Harvey, Lewis Pullman, Bill Murray, Emanuela Postacchini, Gabrielle Union, Pete Davidson, Jennifer Coolidge, Michael Angelo Covino, Scott Michael Campbell, Sage Spielman, Brooke Dillman, and P.J. Byrne. The film follows Vincent (Harris), a former mobster who quit the life 18 years prior to become a modest family man. As his son, DJ (Harvey), is about to leave for college, Vincent’s other son, Rocco (Pullman), arrives seeking shelter after crossing Hannigan (Murray), a powerful crime boss. Accompanying Rocco are his pregnant wife, Marina (Postacchini), and his mother/Vincent’s ex-wife, Ruth (Coolidge). With time running out before Hannigan finds them, Vincent’s estranged family is forced to find common ground before it’s too late. 

This is a film with a lot of glaring issues, but the A-list cast isn’t one of them. Lewis Pullman once again displays impressive range, capably selling the script’s forgettable dialogue. This is especially true about his scenes with Ed Harris. The two achieve an authentic, complex connection that provides the film with an otherwise absent emotional hook. It’s not enough to save the movie from being forgettable, but it’s better than nothing. 

Miles J. Harvey brings a lot of energy to Vincent’s son, D.J., but he’s unfortunately not a very likable character. He constantly talks about sex, oftentimes with his step-brother’s pregnant wife, which only works to make the viewer uncomfortable. He’s the biggest victim of the script’s half-baked, faux-Tarantino dialogue—forced to deliver random asides about topics that have nothing to do with the story or its themes. It’s as if the script is attempting to emulate the Steve Buscemi tipping sequence from Reservoir Dogs (1992), but has no idea what makes a scene like that so effective. We spend more time with D.J. than with any other character, but most of it is meaningless. The only thing we learn about him is that he has “girl troubles,” a detail that does nothing to set him apart from every other straight, 18-year-old boy. 

As the villain, Bill Murray gives what is easily the film’s standout performance. His aloof, asshole-ish attitude is nothing new for the actor, but it feels fresh when applied to a more villainous character such as Hannigan. The behavior he typically uses to generate laughs is instead used to piss us off. For example, there’s one particular scene in which the character’s only son reveals that he’s infertile and unable to continue the bloodline. In response, Murray’s character begins to berate him for being gay. Murray’s comedic timing in this moment is impressive, which ultimately serves to make the character even more despicable. The viewer truly believes that Hannigan thinks it’s a joke, which makes it infinitely more heartbreaking. Murray has an aura about him that suggests he treats everything as a joke. This is hilarious if the character he’s playing is ultimately a decent guy. If he’s playing someone with more villainous sensibilities, this persona is uniquely chilling. 

Additions such as Jennifer Coolidge, Gabrielle Union, and Emanuela Postacchini are more than welcome, but their characters never end up feeling particularly important. This is especially disappointing in Coolidge’s case, the majority of her dialogue being relegated to a recurring joke about the size of her ex-husband’s penis. However, the most unfortunate addition to the cast is easily Pete Davidson as Hannigan’s right-hand man, Lonnie, a supposedly remorseless and skilled killer. Pete Davidson as someone the audience is supposed to be intimidated by? Need I explain further why this doesn’t work in the slightest? He can’t even act, let alone play a character that’s against type. 

The script often invites comparisons to the films of Quentin Tarantino, but never even comes close to matching that level of quality. The dialogue isn’t nearly as witty, and almost every attempt at comedy falls flat on its face. The tone is also weird, awkward, unpleasant, and generally irrelevant to the central story. On top of all this, it’s also slow-paced and predictable. It’s clear that the filmmakers care about the material, but it feels like a gamble that didn’t pay off.

Overall, this is a generally well-acted but strange film with a niche tone that’s difficult to connect with. There’s a handful of elements I appreciated, but far more that made me flat out cringe or scratch my head in confusion. I can only really recommend it for the performances from Lewis Pullman and Ed Harris. They’re way too good for this material. You probably won’t hate it, but you definitely won’t love it; you’ll probably just forget about it. C