Movie review: ‘Douchebag’

The most provocative thing about the DIY trifle “Douchebag” is its title, and even that doesn’t amount to much. This underdeveloped, lackluster glance at brotherhood practically demands a response of “Is that all there is?” at its 70-minute fadeout. (To be fair, the film was reportedly well-received at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, so it has had its supporters.)

A dark comedy about estranged siblings who reunite for a pre-wedding road trip, the movie doesn’t so much feel made up as it goes along — despite its improvisational tone, there are four credited writers, including director Drake Doremus and star Andrew Dickler — as it does simply half-baked. Sure, its oft-used, odd-couple-hits-the-highway premise is a reasonable starting point. But cramming repellent “douchebag” Sam (Dickler) into a car with his sensitive artist brother, Tom (Ben York Jones), in search of Tom’s long-lost fifth-grade girlfriend so he can have a date for Sam’s upcoming nuptials (seriously?) proves woefully short on the staples of this sub-genre: memorable episodes, satisfying character arcs and convincing catharsis. Logic is also in limited supply.

Only at the bitter end do we get a glimpse of the actual man behind Sam’s bushy-bearded mask and a flicker of what his lovely, do-gooder fiancée, Steph (Marguerite Moreau), may have ever seen in him. Talk about too little, too late.

“Douchebag.” MPAA rating: Unrated. Running time: 1 hour, 11 minutes. Playing at Landmark’s Nuart Theatre, West Los Angeles.