Middle Man (2016) User Reviews

Unusual. Well Worth The Watch. Recommended

[vmmarysville · 7/10 · 24 December 2018]

Sometimes what you (think) you see is NOT what you get. Entertaining; well-worth the watch. Only 2 or 3 stretches of believablity that won't ruin anything, esp once you get into this and see where it's going. Stand by for some unexpected Bonus Points.

Recommended. VM

If you're up for a wild ride!

[TheDome81 · 7/10 · 7 December 2023]

When I started watching this bizarre little film, I wondered where I'd seen the lead actor before. Turns out Jim O'Heir played Jerry in "Parks & Recreation," one of my favorite TV shows. I looked him up on IMDb and was amazed to find he's been in 183 movies and TV shows! That's an astonishing number for an actor that young.

Anyway, back to "Middle Man." Lenny Freeman (O'Heir) is a boring accountant. When his mother dies, she leaves him nothing but debt and her old Chevy. Lenny uses this as an excuse to pursue his dream--to head to Vegas and become a famous comedian. Problem is, he isn't funny. Not at all. His favorite comedies are old 1940s and 50s radio shows. But on the way out west, he picks up a mysterious character "Hitch" (Andrew J. West), a sleezebag who volunteers to be Lenny's manager.

Lenny goes on stage at a small bar/comedy club and bombs terribly. After his dismal performance, he has an encounter with one of his hecklers outside the bar. He wakes up the next morning to discover the man has been murdered, so he stuffs him in the trunk of his car. Hitch convinces him to go on stage that night and recount the story of him killing his heckler, bloody shirt and all. And lo and behold, the audience response is amazing! They love his "act" figuring he's fabricated the whole story.

From here on out, the story gets crazier and crazier. Sure, things get a little bloody, but it's only a movie. I've never seen anything quite like it. If you're in the mood for something truly different, you owe it to yourself to check out "Middle Man."

It's funny until someone gets hurt

[rtakers-71291 · 11 October 2017]

There's an old joke that about something "being funny until someone gets poked in the eye. Then it's really funny." That sums up the plight of poor Lenny, played by Jim O'Heir, star of Parks and Rec. A poor sad sack who gets in deeper than he ever imagined was possible. And then, as the joke goes, it's really funny. First time director Ned Crowley has a deft hand at writing great characters and then bringing them to life. He's also managed to create a piece of film on a shoestring that looks like it cost millions.

Plot Hole City

[chadwicknella · 2/10 · 22 October 2017]

This movie is not very good, not very funny, and worst of all is riddled with the laziest plot holes I've ever seen.

He has a rule about not picking up hitch hikers but decides to break that rule... why? This guy acts like a psycho, plus he watched him get into a transport truck that is later abandoned at the side of the road with the doors wide open and the driver's boot in the middle of the highway. That is just a stupid leap.

When he stops at the gas station in his 1953 car wearing a 1953 suit listening to 1953 comedy with his 1953 attitude and way of speaking (we get it already he's old fashioned!)... the guy fills the car up. You can't just fuel up a 1950's car with gas from a station today! Fuel back then was leaded so you need to add lead to it nowadays. Or I guess we're supposed to believe this station is the last one in the world that has leaded fuel available at the pumps? The car would have broken down.

The gas station attendant tells him he's 200 miles from Las Vegas that night. So he drives until morning... then continues to drive into the next night... and he's still not in Vegas. How slow is he supposed to be driving, like 5 miles an hour? At least say he got lost or something. Nothing in this movie makes sense. Did no one read this script over or did this guy just fart out a first draft and immediately shoot it?

What comedy club starts with the headliner then has the open mike amateurs come up after? Also all of the stand up jokes are awful so why is anyone laughing at them and how is this rat tail guy a hit? Also the headliner headlines every single night? In this town with a population of about 20? And the club is always packed? Oh my goodness what a stupid, stupid script.

The characters aren't even developed. Other than being stuck in the 1950's we know nothing about the main character Lenny. His mom dies with debt then he decides to drive to Vegas and become a famous comedian, why? Why did he wait that long? Why now? Why does he want to do comedy at all?

Even the minor characters make no sense. The heckler who harassed Lenny offstage then has Lenny/the hitch hiker sneak up behind him in the alley while he's peeing, holding a tire iron... and instead of running/yelling/defending himself he says "now that's funny." What's funny? That you're obviously about to get your head bashed in? Once again, no one in the world acts like that. There's a complete lack of logic here.

Lenny digs a super deep hole but the body doesn't fit in because it's arms and legs stick out so he cuts the limbs off... so he was already willing to dig a six feet deep hole but found it easier to cut limbs off out in the open than to just widen/lengthen the hole? Or hey how about folding the arms/legs in?

A police officer pulls over two suspicious men - one of them being covered head to toe in blood - and then starts doing IMPRESSIONS? Really? I bet the writer thought that was super duper hilarious, but once again, way too removed from reality to work. If you're going to do ridiculous, outside logic comedy then don't set it in the real world.

The cop gives them a police escort to the comedy show (for some reason) where he watches Lenny, still covered in blood, go on stage and get big laughs talking about how he just killed the heckler (who is noticeably missing), cut him up and buried him (with Lenny covered in dirt and blood)... and the cop doesn't put two and two together? Lenny goes every night and just describes how he murdered their latest victim and nobody ever figures out it's real? And instead of getting old it just gets more and more funny? He becomes a headliner after three shows even though he bombed and was booed off stage in the first show? This movie takes suspension of disbelief to an unacceptable extreme.

Why is the waitress in this town two days drive away the same waitress as in the diner he already stopped at previously? Did the writer just think that first scene was so darn funny he'd just use her again? Does she drive a commute of two plus days to earn that three bucks an hour at a dive bar in an equally small town?

If this movie is a comedy, it fails. If it's a drama, it fails. If it's supposed to be absurdist or anti-comedy, it fails. It's also nowhere near being a fantasy. What is this movie supposed to be and how on earth is it rated higher than 5 out of 10?

One of these guys dresses like a 1980's lounge lizard with an odd goatee, the other is obese and dresses like a 1950's Drew Carey. They're both in a 1953 car that sticks out in the middle of nowhere. They both wear Groucho Marx glasses. So how is it hard for the police to track these guys down immediately?

One of the stupidest movies I've ever seen. This review is much longer than I intended but that's obviously just because I feel angry that this movie would waste my time and insult my intelligence so much.

The only reason I give it a 2 instead of a 1 is that the guy playing Lenny is a decent actor, and the hitch hiker is at least average. All the supporting characters are just terrible.

The Darkest Black Comedy I've Ever Seen

[horitaj · 9/10 · 23 October 2016]

"Middle Man" is about the character of Lenny, a recently unemployed man whose mother just died and now decides to chase the "American Dream" by going to Las Vegas so he can be a comedian. The film stars Jim O'Heir, Josh McDermitt, Andrew J. West, Anne Dudek, and Tracey Walter, and is directed by Ned Crowley. I saw this film at the 52nd International Film Festival this year, and is hands down my favorite film from the festival.

Jim O'Heir plays Lenny, an awkward but sweet man who seems to be stuck in the past. He still listens to 50's comedy sitcoms on his cassette player and memorizes them line for line, he drives his old '53, and always does what his Christian mother told him. O'Heir was hysterical as this man stuck in the middle of a crazy situation. Josh McDermitt plays the character of T-Bird, the biggest A hole who's the comedic sensation at the "Yuck Stop", it was a very cool contrast from his character in The Walking Dead. Andrew J. West (also played Garrett on The Walking Dead) plays the cool, confident, and mysterious Hitch, who tags along as Lenny's "manager" and is also a psycho killer who burns up easily in the sun. West was just as up to par with O'Heir, and the complete contrasts of their characters really brought a unique character duo.

"Middle Man" does not pull its punches, the film keeps on bringing the comedy and every joke that was made in the film was always answered by a laugh from the audience. The film has such a sick sense of humor which I love. I've never laughed so hard at a man getting his head blown off or a man disposing of a dead body. Now despite this film being laugh out loud funny, it is extremely dark, especially during the last 30 minutes of the film. The film is like a cross between Martin Scorsese's "King of Comedy" (1982) and David Lynch's "Blue Velvet" (1986).

After the screening of the film director Ned Crowley and Jim O'Heir came to the front and had a very cool Q&A, and I got to meet and take a picture with O'Heir as well which was super cool. "Middle Man" is a very original and balls out film that never takes itself seriously and delivers one hell of a black comedy.

Superb film

[kjr032 · 9/10 · 22 October 2017]

A great film. Script is terrific. Acting is lovely. Hilarious at times. Some really memorable scenes. The IMDb rating is a real insult...but then again, look at some of the Hollywood Formula garbage that gets high ratings. Point: ignore the ridiculously low rating. This is a gem of a movie; do not miss it.

A quirky under-rated comedy

[nylonnet · 8/10 · 16 April 2017]

I can understand why people with an US-sitcom sense of humour would find this movie baffling, but it's in the best tradition of wry British understatement and cringe. It's a delight to watch. The plot is cunningly crafted with genuine 'I didn't expect THAT' moments. The characters are memorable. The scenery is Breaking-Baddish. I'm keeping this one.

Low Budget But Powerful

[rioplaydrum · 8/10 · 11 June 2017]

If you get just as sick and tired of big budget Hollywood hit-n-misses as I do you're going to love this one.

'MiddleMan' packs the biggest punch on a shoe-string budget you could ever hope for.

Jim O'Heir portrays Lenny, a borderline mentally ill butterfaced nobody who's infected with some naïve dream of becoming a stand-up comic, and he gets his wish unexpectedly through murder and mayhem.

I was surprised how long the story went on and how nuanced it was. While the characters start out as a cheap joke, they turn into something very real half way out and to the end.

For some reason I was reminded of some other grade B Classic flicks like 'Eating Raoul' from 1982.

An astonishing accomplishment that will be unfortunately forgotten in no time.

This film, at least, will stick in my mind for a very long time.

Loved it.

Brilliant on all levels!

[info-15-396609 · 10/10 · 22 October 2017]

Ned Crowley. Wow. Directed and wrote this hysterical, ironic cautionary tale! The story, the dialogue, the directing, that acting, the production design and cinematography come across like the work of a seasoned pro! Gorgeous! And that's not even mentioning the comedy. Mr. Crowley's comedic sense is off the charts. And it's not just a wild, OMG romp!. His message is brilliant. Especially at a time where real life Hollywood drama is exposing how far people will go to achieve and maintain fame. I got my eye on Ned. I expect to be seeing a lot more from you!

Funny. Smart. GREAT twist at the end!

[Meb123-240-137953 · 10/10 · 12 October 2017]

Outstanding! If you like funny, dark, smart movies that will stay with you and have you thinking for days, then watch MIDDLE MAN! Performances were great - especially Jim O'Heir and Andrew West - Can't wait to see more from Writer Director Ned Crowley. Love the way he wrapped old school comedy and desires for fame with meaningful themes of today. This was really a GREAT movie!

Dark dark dark funny

[karenocrowley · 10/10 · 21 April 2019]

Dark dark dark dark dark dark dark Dark dark dark dark dark dark dark Dark dark dark dark dark dark dark funny.

Unexpected surprise

[rcowles0324 · 8/10 · 18 October 2017]

If you like Cohen Bros. movies, you'll love Middle Man. There is crazy much nuance to this great little film. I was captivated from the first to last act. It's really that good. It's a shame I have to enter five lines to recommend this movie. The cast is perfect; the location shots are Breaking Bad excellent. Enjoy.

Thrill from Start to Finish!

[dehnckam · 9/10 · 18 September 2017]

Middle Man was a terrifying joy to watch. I've never laughed so much during so many dark scenes as I did while watching this film.

O'Heir brilliantly delivers as an awkward wanna-be comic with a dazzling show of emotion, desperation and determination. The characters were complex and contrasting, yet the unexpected ending connects the dots in a way I would have never seen coming.

The soundtrack stuck out to me more than any movie I've recently seen and perfectly complements (and sometimes comically juxtaposes) what we are seeing unfold on screen.

Memorable and unique- this is an original film that I will keep coming back to.

As a Dark Romance and comedy published author, Middle Man entertains and impresses

[gwyyynth · 10/10 · 22 October 2017]

I am a dark romance and comedy 20-plus published book author, and I stumbled upon The Middle Man (2016) while thumbing through Netflix looking for new movies to watch. The movie poster definitely caught my attention, with a CPA type man with blood all over his office attire clothing, which made me want more. Right from the start, the Middle Man delivers..entertainment in my kind of style: DARK. The plot thickens, yet does not bore, and the songs in the soundtrack, in a type of jazzy version to the classic originals, are entertaining, and soothing, to life's troubles. The choice of words in the screen play, especially with the lawyer type man in the beginning, and with the hitch hiker throughout were classic, maybe even British, in a 1950's sort of way, to match the overall theme of the movie, a sort of 1950's era character trying to survive in the now, 2016, and for a fan of "dark" anything, The Middle Man will not waste your time. In fact, Middle Man was better than my last "trip" to Las Vegas, on a stop-over to visit my dying papa, in Cali.

Better than I thought it would be.

[deloudelouvain · 8/10 · 9 October 2020]

MiddleMan is a movie that turned out to be much better than I expected. The cast doesn't consist of very well known actors but they all did a good job playing their respective characters. Jim O'Heir has that same nerdy naive look he has in the great comedy series Parks & Recreation, his character is another push over guy but this time with a twist. Good performance from him, his collaboration with the other main character played by Andrew J. West works really well. The script is well written, full of subtle twists and turns, a right amount of comedy and light gore, in other words a good job from director/writer Ned Crowley. The cinematography was of high quality, for a small budget it was way better then some high budget Hollywood productions. MiddleMan deserves definitely a higher rating on here.