Update: On February 13th, the film will be released as a pay-what-you-want model on BitTorrent as well as in theaters, which Cross has launched a Kickstarter for. See more details there.
With the latest season of Arrested Development, his recent appearances in Obvious Child, Kill Your Darlings, and It’s a Disaster, and numerous other television and comedy offerings, David Cross is seemingly as prolific as ever. He now has another accomplishment to add to his resume: feature film director. Premiering at Sundance Film Festival last year, Hits is a scornful satire about hipsters and fame-seeking idiots which weaves together several different characters who have unusual expectations of reality and what they are entitled to simply by being American. Ahead of a forthcoming release, the first trailer has now arrived.
We were mixed on the film, saying in our review, “While there are a few genuinely funny bits in the script, most of the jokes are hit or miss. Since most of Hits builds to a singular comedic crescendo, which is hands down the funniest bit, the overall effect sucks the energy out of the rest of the film. In some ways it’s reminiscent of Portlandia sketches but stretched out to the point of irritation where it loses all steam. While it’s nice to see Cross in the director’s chair, it’s a disappointment that Hits‘ satirical highs are undercut by a series of uninteresting scenarios.”
Featuring Matt Walsh, James Adomian, Meredith Hagner, Derek Waters, Wyatt Cenac, Jason Ritter, Michael Cera, Amy Carlson, Erinn Hayes, David Koechner, Jake Cherry, and more, check out the trailer below with a hat tip to The Playlist.
Hits is a dark comedy exploring the nature of fame in 21st century Youtube America. The film takes place in a small town in upstate New York populated by people who trade in unrealistic expectations. It’s a story in which fame, delusion, earnestness, and recklessness meet, shake hands, and disrupt the lives around them.
Hits will hit theaters this year.