Hits (film)
{{Infobox film
| name = Hits
| image = Hits poster.jpg
| alt =
| caption = Theatrical release poster
| director = David Cross
| producer = Giles Andrew
Ryan A. Brooks
Charles Denton
Jessica Latham
| writer = David Cross
| starring = Matt Walsh
James Adomian
Meredith Hagner
Jason Ritter
Jake Cherry
Derek Waters
Wyatt Cenac
Michael Cera
| music =
| cinematography = Paul Koestner
| editing = Patrick Colman
| studio = Honora Productions
| distributor = Honora Productions
| released = {{Film date|2014|01|21|Sundance Film Festival|2015|02|13|United States}}
| runtime = 100 minutes
| country = United States
| language = English
}}
Hits is a 2014 American comedy-drama written and directed by David Cross. The film is the directorial debut of Cross.{{cite magazine |title=Sundance 2014: 'Hits' director David Cross shares the secret of viral success|url=http://insidemovies.ew.com/2014/01/21/sundance-2014-david-cross-hits-interview/|accessdate=April 14, 2014|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|publisher=Time|date=January 21, 2014|last=Gocobachi|first=Pamela}}{{cite web |title=Photos: Michael Cera on the Set of David Cross's Hits|url=http://www.vulture.com/2013/10/michael-cera-on-set-david-cross-hits.html|accessdate=April 14, 2014|work=Vulture|publisher=New York Media|date=November 3, 2013|first=Mark|last=Peterson}} The film had its world premiere at 2014 Sundance Film Festival on January 21, 2014.{{cite web |title=Sundance 2014: World Cinema Dramatic Competition|url=http://www.indiewire.com/article/sundance-2014-world-cinema-dramatic-competition|accessdate=January 18, 2014|work=IndieWire|publisher=Penske Business Media|author=IndieWire|date=January 10, 2014}}{{cite web |title=Hits {{!}} Director David Cross|url=http://filmmakermagazine.com/82832-hits-director-david-cross/|accessdate=March 26, 2018|author=Filmmaker Staff|work=Filmmaker Magazine|date=January 20, 2014}} The film later screened at 2014 Sundance London Film Festival on April 26, 2014.{{cite web |title=Sundance London: David Cross, Ryan Coogler Hit the Launch Party|url=https://variety.com/2014/scene/markets-festivals/sundance-london-launch-party-1201163482/|date=April 24, 2014|work=Variety|publisher=Penske Business Media|last=Jackson|first=Helen|accessdate=March 26, 2018}} On February 13, 2015, Hits became the first feature-length film to be released on BitTorrent with a pay-what-you-want model.{{cite web|url=https://techcrunch.com/2015/02/08/david-cross-is-letting-fans-name-their-price-and-download-his-first-film-creation-hits-on-bittorrent/ |title=David Cross Is Letting Fans Name Their Price And Download His First Film Creation Hits On BitTorrent|work=Techcrunch|accessdate=February 12, 2015|publisher=Oath Tech Network|date=February 8, 2015|last=Buhr|first=Sarah}} The Recording Academy's Chapter President Tammy Susan Hurt contributed music to the film via Georgia Music Partners.
Plot
Municipal worker Dave's life changes completely when videos of his rants about potholes at City Hall go viral on YouTube.
Cast
- James Adomian as Donovan
- Amy Carlson as Christina Casserta
- Wyatt Cenac as Babatunde
- Michael Cera as Bennie
- Jake Cherry as Cory
- Meredith Hagner as Katelyn
- Amy Sedaris as Crystal
- Erinn Hayes as Maddy
- Mela Hudson as Juli's Friend
- David Koechner as Rich
- Jason Ritter as Julian
- Russ Tamblyn as Russ
- Matt Walsh as Dave
- Derek Waters as Larson
Reception
Hits received mixed reviews from critics. On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 35% based on 23 reviews, and an average rating of 5.35/10. The site's critics consensus reads: "Hits undermines its undeniably timely message with a darkly bitter tone that makes the movie's caustic humor harder to swallow."{{cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/hits_2014 |title=Hits (2015) |work=Rotten Tomatoes |publisher=Fandango Media |accessdate=July 13, 2020}} On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 45 out of 100, based on 9 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.{{cite web |url=http://www.metacritic.com/movie/hits |title=Hits Reviews |work=Metacritic |publisher=CBS Interactive |accessdate=July 13, 2020}}
Alee Karim of Under the Radar called it "a terrific film whose (apparently) controversial conclusion is earned."{{cite web|url=http://www.undertheradarmag.com/reviews/hits/|last=Karim|first=Alee|work=Under the Radar|date=February 12, 2015|title=Hits|accessdate=March 26, 2018}} Justin Chang of Variety, said in his review that "David Cross’s scattershot “Hits” resembles early Alexander Payne in its playful (or hateful?) skewering of local yokels and their purportedly dim dreams."{{cite web |title=Sundance Film Review: 'Hits'|url=https://variety.com/2014/film/reviews/sundance-film-review-hits-1201066457/|accessdate=April 14, 2014|work=Variety|publisher=Penske Business Media|last=Chang|first=Justin|date=January 22, 2014}} David Rooney in his review for The Hollywood Reporter said that "Celebrity in the age of the viral sensation gets broad treatment in this modest effort, unlikely to reflect its title,"{{cite web |title=Hits: Sundance Review|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/hits-sundance-review-673382|date=January 22, 2014|work=The Hollywood Reporter|publisher=Prometheus Global Media|accessdate=April 14, 2014|last=Rooney|first=David}} while Katherine Kilkenny of IndieWire opined that "the film’s holier-than-thou approach produces laughs in the initial scenes but edges closer to bland misanthropy once Liberty’s developed characters get their unjust deserts."{{cite web |title=Sundance Review: David Cross's Directorial Debut 'Hits' Takes Shots at Brooklyn Hipsters and Libertarians|url=http://www.indiewire.com/article/sundance-review-david-crosss-directorial-debut-hits-takes-shots-at-brooklyn-hipsters-and-libertarians|work=IndieWire|publisher=Penske Business Media|accessdate=April 14, 2014|last=Kilkenny|first=Katherine|date=January 24, 2014}}
References
{{reflist|2}}
External links
- {{IMDb title|3145220|Hits}}
- {{rotten-tomatoes|hits_2014|Hits}}
{{David Cross}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hits}}
Category:2014 comedy-drama films
Category:American comedy-drama films
Category:American independent films
Category:American satirical films
Category:Films set in New York (state)
Category:2014 directorial debut films
Category:2014 independent films
Category:2010s satirical films
Category:2010s English-language films