Jonah Hill's New Black Comedy Is a Total Mess With 28% on RT – Even Keanu Reeves Can't Save It

Keanu Reeves is one of Hollywood's most beloved actors. In Jonah Hill's Outcome, he also plays one of Hollywood's most beloved actors, however, there's a catch: many hate his character.

Outcome sounds like the makings of a witty meta-joke that could poke fun at show business and play with cancel culture, except it's not funny.

This is a vicious, underwhelming satire that forces you to wade through unnecessary chatter and uncomfortable, sometimes below-the-belt, humor for the rare good moment.

What Is 'Outcome' About?

Reef Hawk is a global screen star – he has led popular franchises, won an Oscar, and earned the love of a fan base of millions. He has the perfect career, and he's passionate about maintaining it.

However, Reef's seemingly perfect reputation is unexpectedly threatened – a mysterious assailant threatens to leak a compromising video of him online.

His crisis attorney, Ira Slitz, assembles a legal team to help Reef avoid the leak and ensuing scandal. In order to expose the perpetrator, Reef must apologize to everyone he may have offended.

'Outcome' Is a Superficial Satire With a Complete Lack of Wit

Jonah Hill's Outcome was his attempt to create his own feature-length version of The Studio. Instead of satirizing film production and marketing, Hill narrowed his focus to anti-crisis programs aimed at preventing scandal.

However, compared to Seth Rogen's series, Hill's new work lacks fresh ideas, wit, bite, and humor. Like The Studio, Outcome uses pop culture references to tell the protagonist's story, however, there's no harmonious blend of Easter eggs and a coherent plot.

The overuse of "socially charged" references quickly becomes tiresome – it's simply a collection of isolated, spineless jokes where Reef himself is lost. All the ideas seem superficial, unfunny, and outdated.

Keanu Reeves Can't Save 'Outcome' – Because He Has Nothing to Work With

Somehow, rare fragments imbue the movie with heart – touching are Reef's get-togethers with childhood friends, played with sincerity by Cameron Diaz and Matt Bomer. They are the only believable characters in Outcome.

The criminal's motif is also captivating, revealing the theme of the pursuit of an ideal reputation and popularity with ironic simplicity.

Even Keanu Reeves seems unconvincing – he seems uncomfortable starring in such a flimsy movie, as evidenced by his attempts to appear capricious and villainous. Instead of his usual charisma, viewers are met with inappropriate acting choices that leave only confusion.

What Did Critics & Viewers Think of 'Outcome'?

• Outcome has 28% from critics and 32% from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.

• On IMDb, the movie has a score of 4.6/5.0.

• On Letterboxd, Outcome scored 2.2/5.0.

Where to Watch 'Outcome'?

Outcome is available to stream on Apple TV+.