The King of Staten Island (2020)
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A young man struggles to find his identity and navigate complex family dynamics after his mother begins dating a firefighter who resembles his deceased father.
The story
Twenty-four-year-old high school dropout Scott Carlin lives in Staten Island with his mother Margie and his sister Claire. Scott struggles with various medical issues, including Crohn's disease and ADD, and deals with the lingering grief of his father's death in the line of duty. While Scott dreams of becoming a tattoo artist, his life is upended when his mother begins dating Ray, a firefighter. This new relationship creates significant tension, as Scott is disturbed by Ray's profession and the potential for further family tragedy. As Claire prepares to leave for college, Scott must navigate his neuroses and the changing dynamics of his household.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Scott Carlin, a high school dropout in Staten Island, spends his days hanging out with friends while struggling with Crohn's disease, ADD, and marijuana use. He practices tattooing on his friends but lacks consistency. When he meets a young boy named Harold who wants a tattoo, Harold's father, Ray, enters the picture. Ray begins dating Scott's mother, Margie, which deeply upsets Scott because Ray is a firefighter—the same profession as Scott's late father, Stan. Scott argues that firefighters shouldn't have families due to the risk of death. After Margie and Ray give Scott an ultimatum to move out, Scott tries to sabotage their relationship but eventually takes a job as a busboy and begins babysitting Harold and his sister Kelly. During a pharmacy robbery with friends, Scott flees while the others are arrested. After a physical confrontation with Ray and being kicked out by Margie, Scott finds temporary housing at Ray's firehouse. There, he bonds with the firefighters, who share stories about Scott's father, helping him process his grief. Ray eventually allows Scott to practice tattooing on him. After Scott helps an injured man reach a hospital, Margie reconciles with both men. The film ends with Scott confessing his love to his friend Kelsey and they share a kiss.
- First release year
- 2020
- Runtime (minutes)
- 137
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Judd Apatow
- Writers
- Judd Apatow · writer; Pete Davidson · writer; Dave Sirus · writer
- Cast and characters
- Pete Davidson · Scott Carlin; Marisa Tomei · Margie; Bill Burr · Ray; Bel Powley · Kelly; Maude Apatow · Claire; Steve Buscemi
- Genres
- black comedy-drama
- Themes
- grief; mental illness; coming-of-age; family dynamics
- Tone and mood
- black comedy; drama; tender
- Premise and plot tags
- semi-biographical; coming-of-age; dramedy
- Source material / true-story basis
- Based in part on Pete Davidson's life.
- Content notes
- depression; grief
- Reception
- The film received generally positive reviews from critics, with some noting its uncertain tone and length but praising Pete Davidson's performance.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 67 · scale: 100 · review count: 50
- Production trivia
- It was the most rented film on multiple platforms during its debut weekend.; The film was announced as Apatow's next project in early 2019.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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