The King of Staten Island is a 2020 comedy-drama film directed by Judd Apatow, starring Pete Davidson, and written by Apatow, Davidson and Dave Sirus.
Partially based on Davidson's own life experiences, the film follows 24-year-old Scott Carlin of Staten Island, played by Davidson, who lost his firefighter father during a blaze when he was only seven years old. Scott never moved on from the tragedy. Now, he spends his days doing drugs and hanging out with his friends.
When his mother (Marisa Tomei) starts dating another firefighter (Bill Burr), it sets off a chain of events that forces Scott to grapple with his grief and take his first tentative steps toward moving forward in life.
Originally scheduled for release in theaters on June 19, 2020, it was moved to a digital-only release following the closure of movie theaters during the COVID-19 Pandemic. The first trailer can be seen here
.
This film contains examples of:
- Bait-and-Switch: While initially bonding with Scott, Ray mentions he has season tickets to the Yankees. Scott is impressed, until he realizes Ray was talking about the Staten Island Yankees minor league baseball team; among major-league teams, he supports the Red Sox.
- Batter Up!: Scott beats his TV and Xbox to bits with a baseball bat in response to Margie throwing him out after his fight with Ray.
- Bittersweet Ending: While Scott still has not completely moved on from his father's death or worked out his career path, he reconciles with his mother, bonds with Ray, starts a meaningful relationship with Kelsey, and is ready to expand his horizons beyond stultifying Staten Island.
- Both Sides Have a Point: During an argument, Claire tells Scott he should stop wallowing about their dad's death and be grateful that he was at least old enough to know and remember him. Scott retorts that her being too young to remember him meant that the event wasn't as traumatizing for her and it made it easier for her to move on.
- Celebrity Paradox: Scott and his friends are shown watching The First Purge, which Marisa Tomei starred in.
- Cool Old Guy: Papa
- Darker and Edgier: The film is more serious and dramatic than Judd Apatow's usual affairs including one character (possibly two) being shot both Played for Drama.Guy: No, I fell into a thorn bush.
- Deconstructed Character Archetype: The film deconstructs Pete Davidson's lazy stoner comedic persona by showing it stems from a traumatic event in his childhood.
- Everyone Has Standards: Scott may sell drugs with his friends on the side, but he thinks robbing a pharmacy for its oxycodone pills to deal is going too far. Even when he goes along with the plan, it's only as the lookout around the block.
- Family Relationship Switcheroo: Played for Laughs. Thinking that he's dying, the injured man whom Scott took to the ER asks him to inform his sister that he knows that she is really his mother.
- Firemen Are Hot: Downplayed. Ray's no Adonis, but his profession has kept him in decent shape for a man at his age, and Ray's ex-wife states that his sexual prowess was the main factor holding their marriage together; she denounces him for being a Jerkass and The Gambling Addict otherwise. The rest of the firemen represent a range of body types, from schlub to bodybuilder.
- Foolish Sibling, Responsible Sibling: Scott is a high school dropout and layabout still living with his mother, with no real ambitions beyond wanting to be a tattoo artist. His sister, Claire, meanwhile, is currently attending college.
- Hitler Ate Sugar: Scott's grandfather defends his grandson's decision not to attend college by naming several infamous figures who graduated from college:Grandpa: You know who went to Harvard? The Unabomber. You know who went to Temple? Bill Cosby. You know who else went to Temple? Ted Bundy.
- Jerkass Realization: Ray has one when Papa points out he may not have considered just how traumatizing Scott's father's death was for the guy.
- Major Injury Underreaction: Knowing that gunshot wounds must be reported to the authorities, a seriously injured man attributes it first to his vape pen exploding in his pocket; later he tells the ER nurse he fell into a thorn bush.
- Manchild: Scott is 24 years old and still acts like a teenager, primarily because of arrested development brought upon by his dad's death.
- NEET: Scott openly admits he's never leaving his mom's house. The only hint of ambition he shows is a desire to become a tattoo artist, preferably jointly with a restaurant, but he does not put in the training or effort needed for the trade.
- Nothing Exciting Ever Happens Here: Discussed by Scott's friends, who see Staten Island as the overlooked New York borough.
- Only Sane Man: Igor is the only one in the group who knows that giving a nine-year-old a tattoo (even if the kid asked for it) is a terrible idea.
- Parent with New Paramour: Scott reacts negatively when his widowed mother reveals she's dating Ray, since Ray (a) works as a firefighter, like Scott's deceased father, and (b) reacted rudely to Scott and Margie after Scott tattooed a line on his son's arm.
- Real After All: Scott and his friends think Igor's new girlfriend is fake because they've only met online. She turns out to be very real when she visits him in prison.
- Replacement Goldfish: Scott finds it weird that the first guy his mom dates since his dad's death is also a firefighter.
- Too Smart for Strangers: Discussed when Harold meets Scott and his friends at first; Oscar says, "No stranger danger here."
- Surprisingly Realistic Outcome:
- Yes, antidepressants really do cause anorgasmia.
- Due to sensitive skin and heightened sense of touch, kids cannot handle the ongoing pain of getting a tattoo.
- The Unfavorite: Claire feels that she's this, claiming that she was ignored as a kid because everyone was so worried about Scott.
