From the opening frame of A Bad Idea Gone Wrong, the feature film debut by Jason Headley, everything seems familiar. From the dialogue over the black screen and the eventual diner conversation, right down to the inciting incident, it all seems comfortably derivative. And that’s okay. The key when approaching a film such as this, a buddy comedy/zany caper story, is to embrace what has come before. If Headley and company do anything here, it is to embrace. In fact, the whole film feels like a nice, familiar, comforting embrace. This is the type of film we grew up on and it knows it.
Granted, a large portion of the opening act feels a little wooden and forced, as if the story knows where it really wants to go but doesn’t have the patience to stroll there. Instead, the first act sprints by with nary a moment for anything but the MacGuffin and the setup. But then, something funny happens; a third person is introduced into this buddy comedy. It is at this moment, when the duo becomes a triumvirate, the film really begins to click. Jokes become snappier, dialogue becomes more organic and effective. This is when the film really begins.
This, undoubtedly, is a direct result of the chemistry between our three leads, Matt Jones, Will Rogers, and Eleanore Pienta. When all three of them are in a room this film clicks with the best of this genre. It’s fast, it’s pithy, it’s clever, and it cant help but force a smile from the viewer. When the triumvirate is separated, though, the films lags a bit. To say that it ever gets unenjoyable would be a bit hyperbolic, but the film strains noticeably during these scenes.
As for the plot itself, it seems secondary by design. If the crux of the narrative was in the foreground this film would be a simplistic, one-note rehash of several films we’ve seen before. But, as mentioned above, this film embraces its roots, but reducing the characters and creating the narrative as the primary component of the film would make it seem like less of a embracing tribute and another boring carbon copy entry. As it stands, though, A Bad Idea Gone Wrong stands on the strength of its three main characters. The discussions, the timing, the exchanges are all top notch and it is darn fun to watch.
So, while A Bad Idea Gone Wrong will never be accused of being a trailblazer or breaking new cinematic ground, it is a strong indie entry into the classic genre of zany schemes gone wrong. Any moments of weakness or narrative flimsiness is easily overcome by the chemistry and dialogue between our three protagonists.
