Fun
Frisky
Nostalgic
Intense
Adventurous
Choked Up
Curious
Romantic
Weird
James Franco does a lot of weird shit. It’s his thing, and he seems to pride himself on it. So while the fact that he tends to teach and/or study at multiple colleges at a time or indulges in painting strange pieces of art easily places him as the punchline to so many jokes, this time, the joke’s on us. Because Franco did some of his absolute best comedic acting in 2016’s Why Him? premiering tonight on HBO. And if you’re one of those people that likes to proudly proclaim, “Oh, I only like James Franco when he’s funny,” then you sure as hell better watch this movie.
Why Him? is the perfect example of why we let James Franco do his weird little art projects, because when he returns to the mainstream and we get our eyeballs on a movie as funny and as enjoyable as this one, all is forgiven. In a sea of superhero movies, broad comedies are being produced less and less, as we can so easily plan to view CGI-less comedies from the comfort of our own couches. So guess what? Now you can, and you very, very much should.
Franco stars as Laird, the super rich tech bro boyfriend of Stephanie (Zoey Deutch), who is determined to win over her parents (Bryan Cranston and Megan Mullally) when the family comes to California to visit for Christmas. Do I have to tell you that there are hijinks involved here? From the shirtless second he meets the Midwestern family, he’s met with side-eyes and skepticism and it’s hilarious as hell.
In Why Him?, Franco is given the opportunity to do exactly what he does best in comedies, and not just the shirtless part, but he is as fine as he is funny. His character is a smart dude, but that doesn’t mean he’s not a bit dopey…or, you know, the kind of guy that you can’t help but wonder if he’s high. Sound familiar? Franco unleashes his charm in the quest to impress the parents, he’s sexy with Stephanie, and he’s a total bro with her brother, Scotty (Griffin Gluck, who recently impressed in Netflix’s true crime satire, American Vandal). Franco’s IRL bestie Seth Rogen can move to the side, as Franco has no problem flexing those physical comedy skills opposite Keegan-Michael Key here.
While he’s currently starring (opposite himself, of course) on HBO’s dark drama The Deuce, Franco is also set to give you the giggles in The Disaster Artist, due later this year, where he portrays The Room star Tommy Wiseau and displays his spot-on impression. With Why Him?, we get the version of James Franco that makes you question just how many differences he truly has with his character, if any at all besides their names.
So just in case you’re still wondering, why Why Him? Well, it’s simply the classic battle of Family Man vs. Freak Show, and it is 100% one of the funniest films of the last year. Since it was released during the busy December box office, you may have missed your opportunity to experience what proved to be the true joy of holiday season at the time. But Why Him? is the gift that keeps on giving: as of tonight, you can sit at home with a flick that’s guaranteed to make you chuckle, and come on, with Franco’s bod and full-face grin, maybe even turn you on a little bit. The real question is, what more could you possibly want?
