tech
Balls Up review
Peter Farrelly’s World Cup-themed buddy movie winningly channels the juvenile charm of his 90s classics
TL;DR
- Balls Up is Peter Farrelly's fourth solo feature since his split with brother Bobby.
- The comedy is described as ribald and juvenile, starting with explicit humor.
- The plot involves two ad men, Elijah (Paul Walter Hauser) and Brad (Mark Wahlberg), who get into trouble at the World Cup final in Brazil.
- Their company is trying to market a revolutionary male prophylactic as the official condom of the World Cup.
- A drunken stunt on the pitch thwarts a goal and makes them enemies of the state.
- Mark Wahlberg is praised for his chemistry with Paul Walter Hauser and for playing against type.
- Supporting actors Molly Shannon, Benjamin Bratt, and Sacha Baron Cohen are also highlighted for their performances.
- The script by Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese is noted for layering compounding stakes and spicy dialogue.
- The musical score by Dave Palmer, featuring samba and bossa nova, is considered a highlight.
- The article criticizes Amazon for releasing the film on Prime Video instead of a theatrical run.