Pizza Movie Revives Stoner Comedy With Psychedelic Chaos and Gen Z Energy
Pizza Movie, now streaming on Hulu, reinvents the stoner comedy formula with a psychedelic twist and Gen Z sensibility, following two freshmen through a night of chaos, hallucinations, and emotional discovery
Key Points
- 1Pizza Movie is a new Hulu stoner comedy directed by Brian McElhaney and Nick Kocher
- 2The film stars Gaten Matarazzo and Sean Giambrone as freshmen caught in a psychedelic misadventure
- 3Daniel Radcliffe voices a character in the film, adding to its offbeat cast
- 4The movie invents its own hallucinogenic drug to push genre boundaries
- 5The creators aim to blend emotional depth with absurd comedy for a Gen Z audience
The stoner comedy genre gets a vibrant overhaul in Pizza Movie, now streaming on Hulu, where the classic formula of a simple mission gone awry is propelled into a psychedelic, Gen Z-fueled adventure. The film, written and directed by Brian McElhaney and Nick Kocher, follows freshmen Jack and Montgomery, played by Gaten Matarazzo and Sean Giambrone, as they embark on what should be a straightforward pizza run that spirals into a night of wild hallucinations and existential revelations. By introducing experimental drugs and a more chaotic narrative pace, Pizza Movie reimagines the old stoner blueprint for a younger, faster-paced audience
McElhaney and Kocher, known for their sketch duo BriTANicK and their work on SNL and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, deliberately push the genre's boundaries, infusing the story with a blend of absurdity, horror, and genuine emotional moments. According to Kocher, the film moves away from traditional portrayals of cannabis: "I’ve always found that at least my experience being high on weed, I’m not seeing anything crazy. I’m definitely thinking weird thoughts, but it’s more like I get anxiety from the weed more than anything else." This self-awareness led the filmmakers to invent their own hallucinogenic substance for the movie, allowing for creative freedom in depicting the characters' trip
The cast brings the film’s surreal energy to life, with Matarazzo anchoring the emotional core as Jack and Giambrone delivering a performance that captures both awkwardness and vulnerability. Supporting roles from Lulu Wilson, Peyton Elizabeth Lee, Marcus Scribner, and a memorable voice cameo by Daniel Radcliffe as an unhinged butterfly add to the film’s offbeat charm. McElhaney explained the characters' relatability: "Trying to find your group. Trying to find comfort in the things you like to do and feel that they’re cool even if you think they’re not." This underlying uncertainty grounds the film amidst its chaos
Pizza Movie’s structure mirrors the unpredictable nature of a psychedelic experience, oscillating between moments of absurd humor and sudden emotional depth. Kocher summarized their approach: "If we can make you feel something emotional in the middle of a fart joke, that’s a massive win for us." The film’s rapid pacing and genre-bending style are designed to resonate with a generation accustomed to quick cuts and tonal shifts, making the experience feel contemporary and relatable
Produced by American High and All Things Comedy, and featuring Gaten Matarazzo as executive producer, Pizza Movie arrives alongside McElhaney and Kocher’s other project, Over Your Dead Body, marking a significant moment in their careers. The filmmakers' commitment to both craft and comedy is evident throughout, resulting in a film that respects the stoner canon while fearlessly pushing it into new territory
From the OG Lab newsroom perspective, Pizza Movie’s inventive approach highlights the evolving landscape of cannabis and psychedelic storytelling in media. As younger audiences demand fresher perspectives and more authentic depictions, the film’s success could pave the way for a new era of genre-bending comedies. This is a development worth watching as the intersection of cannabis culture and entertainment continues to shift
