OUTCOME: 3 STARS. “broad comedy that finds an unexpected, reflective tone.”
SYNOPSIS: In “Outcome,” a new dark comedy now streaming on Apple TV+, Keanu Reeves stars as an a-lister amid a public relations crisis that just may change his life forever.
CAST: Keanu Reeves, Hill, Matt Bomer, Cameron Diaz, David Spade, Laverne Cox, Roy Wood Jr., Susan Lucci. Directed by Jonah Hill.
REVIEW: A set-up that suggests broad comedy soon finds a more reflective tone as it delves into themes of accountability, authenticity and the TMZification of celebrity culture. “You don’t have to do anything to be famous,” says damage control expert Virginia Allen Green (Laverne Cox). “You just have to be.”
When we first meet Reef Hawk (Keanu Reeves) he’s stepping back into public life after a five-year break to get sober and get his life in order. One of the biggest stars in Hollywood, he was a child actor who went on to win two Oscars, star in three blockbuster franchises and become “the most beloved movie star in the world.”
As he plots his comeback a PR crisis threatens to derail everything he’s worked for. Someone has uncovered a video of… something. Something unsavory and they will make public unless Hawk coughs up big bucks to bury the tape.
Crisis lawyer Ira Slitz (Jonah Hill)—whose bumper sticker reads: “Honk if you can separate the art from the artist”—suggests Hawk make up an inventory of everyone who hates him. It’s a long list that includes his mother (Susan Lucci), his first manager (Martin Scorsese), an old flame (Welker White) and a laundry list of former employees and acquaintances.
“We need to go see them and apologize,” Ira says, hoping that face to face contact will reveal who is behind the extortion. “You don’t have to mean it you just have to go through the motions.”
What begins as a manufactured apology tour soon becomes a journey of personal growth.
An emotional road trip, “Outcome” is funny, but not ha ha funny à la “The Studio,” the blistering Hollywood satire from Hill’s former co-star Seth Rogen. Hill brings a manic energy to his scenes that raise a few chuckles, but this is an oddly melancholic satire that feels more like an extended therapy session as it ping pongs between heartfelt scenes of raw humanity to Hill’s occasionally R-rated riffs.
The tonal shifts can be jarring, but this is a movie with a lot on its mind and acres of ground to cover in a brief 80 minutes. A bittersweet look at the behind the scenes of stardom, it dives deep into the personal toll fame takes, but also takes pointed jabs at attention culture, victim capitalism and being famous in the age of sex videos. The speed at which Hill jumps between topics and tones is occasionally whip lash inducing, but with its desaturated color pallet and introspective moments the movie finds a thoughtful tone that allows Reef to find happiness in his life despite, not because, of his fame.
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