'

A Futile and Stupid Gesture

Play trailer

2:27

A Futile and Stupid Gesture

2018

1h 41m

Biography

Comedy

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

67%

Tomatometer

43 Reviews

71%

Popcornmeter

500+ Ratings

Writer Doug Kenney co-founds National Lampoon magazine in 1970.

Watch on Netflix

Stream Now

Critics Consensus

A Futile and Stupid Gesture entertainingly recreates the birth of an influential comedic movement, even if it struggles to cover its creative ground.

Read Critics Reviews

Todd Gilchrist

TheWrap

A Futile And Stupid Gesture is, ultimately, anything but pointless, exploring an important moment in pop culture through the life of a man who captured its essence as well as the people who made him an institution.

Feb 6, 2018

Full Review

Tara Brady

Irish Times

For those unfamiliar with the details, there's a neat narrative curve ball in the final act. Stupid: For sure. But futile? Hardly.

Rated: 3/5

Feb 5, 2018

Full Review

Leslie Felperin

The Hollywood Reporter

A move that, if nothing else, shockingly abandons the traditional rags-to-riches-to-rags-to-redemption four-part trajectory to which nearly every biopic slavishly adheres.

Feb 1, 2018

Full Review

Vadim Rizov

Filmmaker Magazine

The film is strongest in its first third, where all the jokes are.

Jan 5, 2023

Full Review

Mikel Zorrilla

Espinof

It is a very interesting proposal to understand a little better the whole process that may be behind the comedy genre. [Full Review in Spanish]

Jul 31, 2019

Full Review

Richard Trenholm

CNET

There's more to this Futile and Stupid Gesture than a line-up of celebrity impressions.

Apr 16, 2019

Full Review

Read all reviews

Tim M

For the most part, A Futile and Stupid Gesture's suitably irreverent humor and reverence for its subject are enough to overcome an inconsistent tempo.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/03/25

Full Review

Kyle M

Couple comedy classics and a weekly platform were, respectively, conceptualized and inspired by a lesser heard root that this elegantly fun, respectfully crafted film profiles with equal amount of passionate creativity and appreciative pathos for considerably balanced gravity in a process that realizes it’s not all jokes when supposedly innovating humor. (B+)

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/22/25

Full Review

Jay H

Doug Kenney was a seriously messed up guy.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

06/30/24

Full Review

Augustine J

This movie was a nice creative interpretation of the ups and downs of Doug Kenney's interesting life. It had some neat narrative devices. It was alright, It was fun to see the start of that SNL sort of era in this movie.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/03/24

Full Review

Gareth v

A funny and twisted comedy that does a decent job of trying too stay true to the National Lampoons stylings.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

06/22/23

Full Review

David L

It took awhile to become invested, but I was charmed all the way thru. I recommend it strongly.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/24/23

Full Review

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

David Wain

Director

Will Forte

Douglas Kenney

Emmy Rossum

Kathryn Walker

Domhnall Gleeson

Henry Beard

Seth Green

Christopher Guest

Natasha Lyonne

Ann Beatts

A Futile and Stupid Gesture: Clip - Performers

0:52

View more videos

Goon

81%

71%

Goon

Watchlist

Old Goats

62%

61%

Old Goats

Watchlist

Winner

54%

71%

Winner

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Winner

Aline

56%

68%

Aline

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Aline

Private Parts

74%

69%

Private Parts

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

A Futile and Stupid Gesture: Featurette - Doug Kenney

2:07

A Futile and Stupid Gesture: Trailer 1

2:27

View more videos

View more photos

Synopsis

Writer Doug Kenney co-founds National Lampoon magazine in 1970.

Director: David Wain
Producer: Peter Principato, Ted Sarandos, Jonathan Stern
Screenwriter: John Aboud, Michael Colton
Production Co: Principato-Young Entertainment, Abominable Pictures
Genre: Biography, Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 26, 2018
Runtime: 1h 41m
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital

Most Popular at Home Now