Special

R

Released Nov 21, 2008

1 hr. 22 min.

Comedy

Drama

List

59%

34 Reviews

Tomatometer

63%

25,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

Les Franken (Michael Rapaport) has a boring and undistinguished life as a parking-meter monitor until he decides to participate in an experimental drug study. He experiences some strange side effects which make him think he is developing special powers, a belief that leads him to quit his dead-end job and start a new one -- as a superhero.

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Critics Consensus

This quirky indie comedy's low budget is readily apparent, but it's elevated by Michael Rapaport's dedicated performance.

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aaron g

One of those painfully slow and unsatisfying indie movies. Rappaport was really good, it's just that the pace and actual content made it feel much longer than its 1:25m runtime. OK that I watched once, but not for the library.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Many people have described this low budget film as a "comedy". I do not see it that way at all. Rather, this as a tragedy about a good-natured man who becomes the victim of a reckless drug experiment. The movie takes the point of view of an emotionally suffering individual who becomes unable to discern reality from his drug induced hallucinations. The film does a great job of blurring the line so we experience the psychosis along with him. It does have moments of quirkiness, but underlying it all is a sadness because we know the man is slipping away. Ultimately, through his own sure will power, he triumphs over his psychosis by "getting up" and not letting a heartless world destroy him. The movie has its flaws, but I found it captivating. The lead actor, Michael Rapaport, is excellent. The music adds an edgy flavor as well. Well done.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/14/23

Full Review

phil v

Totally loved it. Totally heartbreaking.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

They did a good job of using a small budget to their advantage. It actually adds to the film. A bit depressing despite attempts at an uplifting message at the end. Rating: C

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/27/23

Full Review

Audience Member

A film that keeps you wondering until the end as to whether or not the lead has special powers or is creating them in his mind. Obviously low budgeting and the acting slips every now and again but not bad.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/07/23

Full Review

Audience Member

This movie's quirky main character drove a story that was very memorable. We enjoyed the potential realism concept.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/26/23

Full Review

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Hal Haberman

Director

Jeremy Passmore

Director

Michael Rapaport

Les

Paul Blackthorne

Jonas Exiler

Josh Peck

Joey

Robert Baker

Everett

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71%

71%

Thumbsucker

71%

72%

The Wackness

42%

23%

Guy X

57%

53%

Lies & Alibis

60%

59%

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Ben Lyons

At the Movies

I just thought it was a cool indie film with a great leading performance from an actor we don't usually get to see in a lead.

Nov 24, 2008

Full Review

Ben Mankiewicz

At the Movies

The premise is intriguing, and the film is occasionally amusing, but it feels stuck between a completely satirical farce and an aching drama.

Nov 24, 2008

Full Review

Keith Uhlich

House Next Door

Take[s] a page from the cartoonist Bill Watterson, who noted of the tiger protagonist in his great Calvin & Hobbes, 'The nature of [the character's] reality doesn't interest me, and each story goes out of its way to avoid resolving the issue.'

Nov 21, 2008

Full Review

Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

Despite its grand metaphor about little people with big dreams often having to give them up for a painful dose of The Real World, the film works better as a neat little indie comedy chock-full of goofiness.

Rated: 3/4

Dec 15, 2023

Full Review

David Lamble

Bay Area Reporter

Wildly funny at times, the film aims to break your heart and despite pushing its own special powers to their limits I think it succeeds.

May 21, 2020

Full Review

David Harris

Spectrum Culture

It seems that Haberman and Passmore's film is just as unsure of itself as Les: is Special a comedy, a political statement, an action film or a tragedy?

Rated: 1.5/5

Oct 2, 2019

Full Review

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Synopsis

Les Franken (Michael Rapaport) has a boring and undistinguished life as a parking-meter monitor until he decides to participate in an experimental drug study. He experiences some strange side effects which make him think he is developing special powers, a belief that leads him to quit his dead-end job and start a new one -- as a superhero.

Director: Hal Haberman, Jeremy Passmore
Screenwriter: Hal Haberman, Jeremy Passmore
Distributor: Magnolia Pictures
Production Co: Rival Pictures
Rating: R (Brief Drug Use|Some Violence|Language)
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 21, 2008, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 1, 2010
Box Office (Gross USA): $6.4K

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