As a movie critic with a penchant for uncovering hidden gems and dissecting the nuances of films that have garnered unexpected success, I find myself intrigued by the renewed interest in the 2016 comedy “Why Him?” The film, which initially didn’t leave much of an impression upon release, is now gaining traction on Hulu, and it seems that Elon Musk’s cameo may be the culprit.
It’s often perplexing when relatively unknown films suddenly gain popularity on streaming platforms, especially if they didn’t perform well in theaters or failed to make a lasting impact. The latest example of this phenomenon is the 2016 comedy “Why Him?”, starring James Franco, who was once a major Hollywood player but fell out of favor following allegations of sexual misconduct. Since Franco isn’t currently enjoying a career comeback, one might wonder why a 2016 comedy would see a resurgence on Hulu. Interestingly, it could be due to a cameo from a high-profile tech billionaire who is now deeply involved in American politics.
The movie Why Him? centers around a father, portrayed by Bryan Cranston, who goes to great lengths to prevent his daughter’s tech tycoon boyfriend Laird Mayhew (Franco) from proposing marriage. To enrich the storyline, the film incorporates appearances from real-life figures in the tech industry and celebrities like Burnie Burns, Steve Aoki, Richard Blais, and Toby Turner. Notably, Elon Musk makes a notable appearance, which might not have been as significant a few years ago, but now carries more weight given his acquisition of Twitter (now X) and his role in helping Donald Trump secure another term.
Given Elon Musk’s current media exposure, it appears that his appearance in the film and the cameo are drawing increased attention. A Letterboxd user, Jessiqua, issued a warning before watching, stating “‘Beware: Elon Musk trigger.’” kpeterson813 commented, “The Elon Musk surprise was too intense,” followed by two thumbs-down emojis. User K8rly added their opinion by saying, “‘Elon Musk resembles a slightly overheated wax figure and I didn’t care for his inclusion in this film.’” Nao turned off the movie as soon as Musk appeared on screen. User reelasp had a generally positive review, but still deducted points for the Musk cameo: “‘Half a star deducted for the Elon Musk jump scare. Otherwise, this was the ideal Christmas family fun festivity! LOL.’” Many recent reviews liken the Musk cameo to a jump scare, which seems appropriate.
User kar had a less enjoyable experience, writing:
“My lovely bf (bless his soul) chose this as a movie for us to turn off our brains and poke fun at but instead of giggling through it , we instead were assaulted by an elon musk cameo and remained silent aside from a few sighs before we turned it off with 40 minutes left . Thinking about this movie makes me viscerally angry, i hate you james franco.”
You can find more current reviews discussing him on Letterboxd. If you’re intrigued, take a look at his cameo in the video below.
Elon Musk Is No Stranger To Making Movie Cameos
Previously, Musk has made a guest appearance in a movie, and one of those instances was in the 2010 film “Iron Man 2.” The character played by Robert Downey Jr., who had ties to the tech industry in the movie, made it fitting for Musk to be part of the cast. With the recent news about Musk’s appointment as head of the Department of Government Efficiency alongside Vivek Ramaswamy under President Trump, it’s not unthinkable that views for this Marvel sequel might increase given Musk’s status as one of Trump’s major campaign contributors.
The movie titled “Why Him?” faced mainly unfavorable reviews upon its debut, earning a 39% rotten score on Rotten Tomatoes, summarized as: “Although it boasts a strong cast, Why Him? is generally ill-conceived and fails to make significant contributions to the overused father-versus-fiancé trope, providing only occasional humor.” Contrary to the critical reception, Why Him? didn’t completely bomb at the box office, generating $60.3 million domestically and $118.1 million globally on a production budget of $52 million.
If you want to join in on the Letterboxd fun, Why Him? is streaming on Hulu.
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2024-11-13 21:02