Pizza Movie

Gaten Matarazzo Freaks Out In Pizza Movie April 3

If you were wondering what the now grown-up Gaten Matarazzo’s next move would be after finishing Stranger Things, you’re gonna feel dumb for not guessing “stoner comedy.” He looks like he was built for it: shaggy hair, gentle yet goofy expression. Maybe he can parlay these types of roles into becoming a gazillion-dollar Hollywood producer someday, the way Seth Rogen did. Or maybe he’ll peak with Pizza Movie, coming to Hulu next month.

As is standard for protagonists in this tale, Matarazzo and his co-star Sean Giambrone (The Goldbergs, Solar Opposites) are two college losers looking for a thrill. They think they’ve found it when some kind of experimental pill winds up in a tin in their dorm. How’d it get there? The trailer doesn’t say. Why are the instructions provided by a video starring an in-your-face YouTuber woman? It doesn’t explain that either. What she does say — and they don’t play this part of the video until they’re under the effects of the drug — is that it has to be taken with pizza or they’ll trip out so hard that they die.

Since that bit of information was perceived post-intoxication, it’s as suspect as everything else. But Pizza Movie takes the whole concept of hallucinogens to its extreme, trapping the two boys in a cartoon world that defies logic. Their heads even explode several times. The only way out, as far as they know? Eat pizza, which you’d think would not be hard to find on a college campus, but you just know is now going to be the scarcest food product in the universe.

In addition to Matarazzo and Giambrone, Pizza Movie stars Lulu Wilson as the Mid-Movie Third Participant, Jack Martin, Peyton Elizabeth Lee, Marcus Scribner, Caleb Hearon, Sarah Sherman, Justin Cooley, Kevin Matthew Reyes, Adam Herschman, and Lucas Zelnick. The trailer also promises the voice of Daniel Radcliffe as a talking butterfly. It premieres at the SXSW Film Festival later today, but debuts for most people on Hulu April 3

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Avatar of alexbaker
alexbaker

Member

86 messages 6 likes

Man, Gaten Matarazzo going from Dustin to full stoner comedy mode makes total sense. He’s got that chill, slightly confused vibe that fits these kinds of movies perfectly. The whole “eat pizza or die” thing sounds stupid in the best way. I’m probably watching this on release day just to see how many times their heads explode. Radcliffe as a butterfly is the cherry on top.

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Avatar of Shoma
Shoma

Member

104 messages 6 likes

Okay but why does this sound exactly like every bad trip story my roommate tells at 3 a.m.? Experimental pill, cartoon world, pizza as the only cure… I’m sold. Gaten looks like he’s having fun finally, not just yelling about demodogs. Sean Giambrone too, he’s good at playing awkward. Hope Hulu doesn’t bury it after SXSW. I need this in my life.

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Avatar of RamenStar
RamenStar

New Member

575 messages 20 likes

Honestly, I’m here for it. Stranger Things wrapped up his kid era, now he’s doing what every former child actor should do—get weird and funny. The trailer gave nothing away plot-wise and I respect that. Talking butterfly Daniel Radcliffe? That alone is worth the subscription. Pizza scarcity on a college campus is such a dumb hilarious premise.

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Avatar of Blitzball
Blitzball

The Fantasy is not final

63 messages 0 likes

This feels like the spiritual successor to those early 2010s stoner flicks but with better effects. Gaten’s shaggy look is perfect casting. The exploding heads part made me laugh out loud in the trailer. Lulu Wilson showing up mid-movie sounds like she’s gonna steal every scene. If this flops I’ll be mad because it looks exactly like my kind of dumb fun.

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Avatar of ScotL544851
ScotL544851

Magaman

52 messages 1 like

Nah, I’m skeptical. Another college drug comedy? We’ve seen a million of these. Gaten’s cool and all, but does he have the range to carry this? The pizza rule feels forced. Radcliffe voicing a bug is funny for like five seconds then it’s just gimmicky. I’ll probably skip unless reviews say it’s actually clever. Too many similar movies lately.

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Avatar of Swoosh
Swoosh

New Member

14 messages 0 likes

Gaten Matarazzo was born to play a lovable loser in a stoner movie. That gentle face plus shaggy hair equals instant charm. The whole trapped-in-cartoon-hell-because-no-pizza thing is ridiculous and I love it. Sean Giambrone pairing with him feels right too. This could be his Seth Rogen moment if the script’s solid. Hulu better promote it hard.

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Avatar of Eyes on the Prize
Eyes on the Prize

New Member

30 messages 1 like

Lmao heads exploding multiple times? Sign me up. This trailer had me grinning the whole time. Gaten finally gets to be silly instead of serious. The YouTuber video instructions are such a 2020s touch. I’m betting the third-act pizza hunt turns chaotic. April 3 can’t come fast enough. Radcliffe butterfly is the random win we needed. 1

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Vaccine Vaccine Vaccine

New Member

59 messages 1 like

It’s refreshing seeing Gaten do something completely different after all those Stranger Things seasons. He looks relaxed and happy in the trailer. The premise is absurd—take pill, see cartoons, die unless you find pizza. Classic. Cast looks stacked too. Sarah Sherman and Caleb Hearon? That’s comedy gold. I’m rooting for this one.

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Avatar of Dart
Dart

Member

493 messages 30 likes

This movie is going to be so stupid and I’m already planning a watch party. Gaten as the stoner lead feels natural, like he’s just playing an older version of himself. The dying-without-pizza rule is the funniest part. Cartoon world with exploding heads? Yes please. Hope it’s as wild as the trailer promises. Hulu exclusive is perfect for this vibe.

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