Since coming onto the scene in 2006 with A Guide To Recognizing Your Saints, filmmaker Dito Montiel has made eight feature films, but his latest, Riff Raff, is a rare exception, as it’s one that Montiel didn’t also write.
The ensemble crime-comedy stars Lewis Pullman as Rocco, who shows up at the home of his father Vincent (Ed Harris) along with his pregnant girlfriend, Marina (Emanuela Postacchini), on the run from a pair of killers (Bill Murray, Pete Davidson), who want revenge for something Rocco did. Also gathered at the house are Vincent’s daughter (Gabrielle Union) and grandson (Miles J. Davis) and his foul-mouthed drunken former wife Ruth (Jennifer Coolidge).
Cinema Daiily US spoke with Montiel about mixing comedy and drama together into a crime movie, casting the many different roles, including some of the day players like P.J. Byrne and Scott Campbell. We also spoke about the film Critical Thinking, which Dito wrote and John Leguizamo directed, although that suffered from being scheduled to premiere at SXSW just as COVID hit the movie biz.
Riff Raff opens nationwide on Friday, February 28.
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Director: Dito Montiel
Screenwriter: John Pollono
Cast: Ed Harris, Jennifer Coolidge, Bill Murray, Pete Davidson, Lewis Pullman, Gabrielle Union, Miles J. Harvey, Emanuela Postacchini, Michael Angelo Covino, P.J. Byrne
Producer: Sarah Gabriel, Marc Goldberg, Noah Rothman
Production Co: Canopy Media Partners, Capstone Studios, Signature Films, Storyboard Media
Distributor: Roadside Attractions
Rating: R (Some Strong Violence|Pervasive Language|Sexual Content/Nudity|Some Drug Use)
Genre: Crime, Comedy, Drama
Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): February 28, 2025
Runtime: 1 hour, 43 minutes
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You can watch the trailer below: