The Lester brothers try their hands again at directing and Yassir alone in writing in what feels like an overextended episode of a sketch tv show that manages to hit the marks on occasion but ultimately is just a little too much without enough going for it to captivate the audience fully. While the film is 92 minutes, it really just does feel like an elongated Key & Peele sketch – which is complimentary, but 29 minutes could’ve nearly done the same thing and worked infinitely better.
The movie focuses on Walt (Shameik Moore) whose using his good looks here more than anything else, as he is down on his luck moving from job to job and finally lands a job working at the local bowling alley. While he’s at work one day he meets Skunk (D’Arcy Carden) whose a former champion bowler whose become an alcoholic in her days but realizes Walt may be her ticket back into the sport, as he’s a shockingly brilliant bowler that defies all expectations. However things take a turn for the worst when a building inspector (Adam Brody) comes and tells Mozell (Jackee Harry) the alley is not up to code, amongst other things, and if she doesn’t come up with $200,000 he’s going to shut it down in 2 months, and Skunk and Walt decide to take it upon themselves to save the alley. Every underdog story needs a villain and The Gutter is no different, as where Linda Curson (Susan Sarandon) enters whose a bowling legend. Walt and Skunk need to work together to ensure Linda doesn’t win all of the competitions otherwise the Alley and Mozell are out of business.
While a lot of The Gutter feels like an homage to The Big Lebowski, Happy Gilmore and Dodgeball all of those movies work supremely well in larger doses and their running times. While The Gutter does have moments that are hilarious and make the audience break out laughing, it’s not enough for 92 minutes of comedy – it’s better for a short film unfortunately. The saving graces here though are the cast, Sarandon Moore and Carden are all great in their roles, and shine when they’re allowed to be over the top and ridiculous. When it tries to drone in on something heartfelt or meaningful the movie falls a little flat. Moore and Carden also play off each other wonderfully, but it needed more of the chemistry and a higher objective without a twist that fell a little flat, but a perfectly serviceable comedy that certainly showed potential.
