This spring season of movies has started out with Hulu’s Big Time Adolescence. Big Time Adolescence might just prove that comedian turned actor Pete Davidson is ready for comedic roles in film. Big Time Adolescence is directed by Jason Orley and stars Pete Davidson, Griffin Gluck, Machine Gun Kelly, and Jon Cryer. The story centers around a college dropout drug-dealer, Zeke (Pete Davidson), who becomes an mentor to a high schooler, Mo (Griffin Gluck). Along the way, both characters learn life lessons and realize what’s important for themselves and for their friendship.
Pete Davidson’s acting performance is surprisingly good as he delivers it as if it was a role call from his time working for Saturday Night Live. While Zeke is a smoking, irresponsible slacker who doesn’t seem tobe embarrassed by the way he speaks, let alone be embarrassed by his situation, he still works and interacts with other people. Even though Pete Davidson’s work is limited to comedy skits, episodes of Saturday Night Live, and Wild ‘n Out, this film presents what Pete Davidson is capable of doing in a comedy atmosphere.
The most interesting part of this film is its soundtrack. The soundtrack is a mix of some rap and pop songs from the generation of Joey Badass and other Indie Rappers. This film knows what kind of energy to convey in its transitions from whether it’s a new scene featuring a main character or a transition building on previous scenes.
One major issue about this film is that the story doesn’t really end anywhere; it’s just the same thing over and over again. Every scene has a character making bad decisions that backfire with major consequences. At times, Zeke can’t actually care for any problem that’s put in front of him. He’s just a character who lacks the ability to truly connect with anyone or feel much of anything due to his personality. He’s not a protagonist or antagonist, he doesn’t have any beneficial or malevolent intentions towards people, and he doesn’t care enough to have those feelings about others. There’s no depth to his character.
Overall, Pete Davidson’s acting performance is quite promising. Given that comedians from Saturday Night Live generally end up having finding success in film, this film is an impressive step towards a career in a different medium. The plot and soundtrack are reasonably enjoyable and fitting for this coming of age film. All in all, Big Time Adolescence reveals how well Pete Davidson can perform in a role that’s well-suited for him.
3/5 STARS