Reviving Stoner Comedy: A Fresh Take with Pizza Movie
By Published Apr 3, 2026, 12:01 PM EDT Grant Hermanns is a TV News Editor, Interview Host and Reviewer for ScreenRant, having joined the team in early 2026. He got his start in the industry with Moviepilot, followed by working at ComingSoon.net. When not indulging in his love of film/TV, Grant is making his way through his gaming backlog and exploring the world of Dungeons & Dragons with friends. Summary Generate a summary of this story follow Follow followed Followed Like Like Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recap
When it comes to the world of comedies, the stoner subgenre has notably gone from reigning supreme to fading to obscurity. Where everything from the misanthropic adventures of Harold & Kumar to the cartoonish riff on higher education of How High and the unorthodox antics of bored police officers in Super Troopers were once all the rage, most filmmakers have turned their attention back toward more grounded human dramas.
In that context, Pizza Movie is a refreshing delight. The simply titled knows who its audience is, and it delivers plenty of gross-out gags for them to laugh at. But it also takes its genre's formula and infuses it with a real shot of originality that gives even non-stoner-comedy fans plenty to sink their teeth into.
Pizza Movie's Phase-Based Structure & Excellent Cast Keep The Film's Energy High
Written and directed by Brian McElhaney and Nick Kocher, also known by their comedy duo name BriTANicK, Pizza Movie centers on Jack (Gaten Matarazzo) and Montgomery (Sean Giambrone), two college roommates experiencing very different forms of hardship at school. Jack, an energetic extrovert, has become the school pariah because of an incident that resulted in the football program's shuttering. Montgomery, who also goes by Monty, is a shy person with aspirations of becoming an alpha male and wooing the curious Ashley (Peyton Elizabeth Lee).
After a particularly bad day of embarrassment and bullying from their fellow students, Jack and Monty stumble across a tin of special drugs called "M.I.N.T.S." hidden in their dorm room ceiling, which gives them a terrifying, hallucinogenic high. In a video online by the drug's creator, they discover that the only way to counteract the drug and enjoy its effects is to eat pizza, which they had already ordered before taking the drug. However, the pizza is stuck two floors below them, and with the drug doling out multiple phases of effects, the pair embark on a wild night.
While it's easy enough to write its premise off as being , Pizza Movie actually proves to be way more innovative and inspired in its storytelling. Each phase of the drug's effects proves to be so off-the-wall and, apart from a visual cue hinting at their beginning, unpredictable that you're left in a state of shock and awe as each one plays out.
Beyond giving the stoner comedy formula a Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die-like jolt of energy...
From bad words causing anyone on the drug's head to explode to genuine body swapping and scenes of demonic-like activity, it's astounding how McElhaney and Kocher keep you guessing. The characters not even understanding the drug's effects just adds to the hilarity. They raise genuine questions about quantum theory and other scientific concepts the M.I.N.T.S. seem to be eschewing, only to throw them away in the hopes of getting to the pizza before hitting the dreaded final phase.
Beyond giving the stoner comedy formula a jolt of energy, however, McElhaney and Kocher also do a remarkable job of going for many jokes atypical of the genre to keep their film from feeling dated. Even characters that the film later admits are one-dimensional caricatures don't resort to genuinely uncomfortable territory with their insults and threats, while Jack and Monty's individual problems prove to be timeless concepts, but not to the point of lacking class, as some stoner comedies' male characters are guilty of.
In addition to their great script, McElhaney and Kocher also deserve a lot of credit for just how stylish they prove to be as directors. The aforementioned visual cue for a switch in phases is gorgeous to watch and perfectly fits with the film's aesthetic, while certain fight sequences and set pieces look to have pulled great inspiration from everyone from The Daniels to James Wan.
But as good as their script and direction are, Pizza Movie definitely wouldn't have soared as high as it does without its great cast. It's hard to deny Jack doesn't feel that far off from Matarazzo's career-making turn as , but he still delivers all the hysteria of his character with aplomb. Giambrone, in his first live-action role since the Kim Possible reboot, similarly leans into the qualities of some of his best characters to make Monty the affable foil to Jack's sharp-tongued antics that the film needs to keep us hooked.
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Alongside the pair is also a wonderful performance from Lulu Wilson as Lizzy, Jack and Monty's former best friend, who left them in the hopes of gaining favor with the popular people at their school. Wilson, once the target of all things evil in her younger acting years in horror projects like Annabelle: Creation and her numerous Mike Flanagan collaborations, has steadily been showing off her range, especially with . Pizza Movie further cements how natural a fit she is in the world of comedy.
This all isn't to say that Pizza Movie is perfect – as is the case with many comedies, the middle portion drags just enough that it loses some of the steam generatedthe first 40 or so minutes had going. However, with its third act picking the energy back up to deliver a satisfying (and surprisingly meta) end to Jack, Monty and Lizzy's adventure, this is a film for the history books, and easily one of the best stoner comedies of all time.
Pizza Movie is now streaming on Hulu and Disney+!
Cast
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Sean Giambrone Montgomery -
Jack
A shy college student and his reckless roommate think grabbing a pizza delivery will be quick, until an experimental drug sends their night spiraling into absurd encounters and wild hallucinations.
Executive Producer(s)Michael Glassman, Mickey Liddell, , Pete Shilaimon Expand Collapse
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