Stuber

In the summer of 2019, the world was preoccupied with the gargantuan footprint of Avengers: Endgame. We were all looking up at the stars, but down on the sweltering streets of Los Angeles, a mid-budget action-comedy was quietly trying to convince us that a Nissan Leaf could be a getaway vehicle. Stuber arrived with a loud thud, a cloud of tire smoke, and the unfortunate timing of being one of the final films released by 20th Century Fox before the Disney merger swallowed the studio whole. It’s a movie that feels like a glitch in the simulation—a R-rated, foul-mouthed buddy-cop throwback that somehow survived the transition into the "content" era.

I watched this recently while trying to peel a very stubborn price sticker off a new water bottle, and honestly, the rhythmic scratching of my fingernails provided a surprisingly fitting percussion to the chaotic energy onscreen.

High-Octane Anxiety and Bad Eyesight

The premise is pure 80s high-concept junk food, updated for the gig economy. Dave Bautista (Guardians of the Galaxy) plays Vic Manning, a hulking detective who is basically a walking brick wall with a badge. He’s just had LASIK surgery and can’t see a thing, which is a bit of a problem when he gets a lead on the drug lord who killed his partner. Enter Kumail Nanjiani (The Big Sick) as Stu, a high-strung Uber driver whose life revolves around maintaining a five-star rating and pining for his best friend, Becca (Betty Gilpin).

What follows is a frantic tour of L.A.’s underbelly where the chemistry between the two leads does most of the heavy lifting. Dave Bautista is genuinely gifted at physical comedy; watching a 290-pound man stumble through a Petco while essentially blind is a specific kind of joy. Meanwhile, Kumail Nanjiani serves as the perfect neurotic foil. He isn't the "action hero who discovers his inner badass"—he’s a guy who is rightfully terrified that there are bullet holes in his upholstery. Their bickering isn't just filler; it’s the engine. It’s a movie that treats a Nissan Leaf like a weapon of mass destruction, and I found myself rooting for the car as much as the characters.

Practical Metal and Missed Opportunities

Directed by Michael Dowse—who previously gave us the cult hockey masterpiece Goon—Stuber has a surprisingly gritty texture for a comedy. The action isn't the polished, weightless CGI choreography we’ve grown accustomed to in the MCU era. It’s messy. When people hit things, it looks like it hurts. There’s a standout sequence in a sporting goods store that utilizes the environment with a slapstick violence that felt refreshing.

However, the film’s greatest sin is how it utilizes Iko Uwais. If you’ve seen The Raid or Headshot, you know Iko Uwais is arguably the most talented martial arts performer on the planet right now. Here, he plays the villainous Oka Tedjo, but the editing often chops up his incredible movement, burying his talent under quick cuts. It’s a classic case of a Hollywood production not quite knowing how to capture the fluid speed of Silat. Still, seeing him face off against Dave Bautista's sheer mass is a fun "David vs. Goliath" visual, even if it’s over too quickly. Mira Sorvino and Natalie Morales fill out the edges of the plot, though they aren't given nearly enough to do besides being the "worried boss" and "concerned daughter," respectively.

Why It Parked in the Obscurity Zone

So, why don’t people talk about Stuber? It basically became a "lost" film the moment Disney took over Fox. The marketing was aggressive but the release window was crowded, and the R-rated studio comedy is a species currently on the endangered list. In the streaming era, movies like this often get dumped onto a platform with zero fanfare, but Stuber was built for a theater—it’s built for a room full of people laughing at Dave Bautista accidentally punching a stationary object.

It’s also caught in a weird cultural cross-section. It wants to be a throwback to Lethal Weapon or 48 Hrs., but it’s tethered to the very 2019 reality of Uber ratings and soy lattes. Sometimes that blend works, and sometimes it feels like it’s trying a bit too hard to be "of the moment." Yet, there’s an earnestness to Stu’s character development that I appreciated. The film actually interrogates the "tough guy" tropes of the 80s, with Nanjiani’s character calling out the toxic absurdity of Bautista’s lone-wolf persona.

Is it a masterpiece? Not by a long shot. But in an era where every action movie needs to set up a five-film cinematic universe, there is something deeply comforting about a 93-minute movie where the stakes are just "don't die and keep the car clean." It’s a punchy, foul-mouthed distraction that deserves a second life on a lazy Sunday afternoon.

Stuber is the cinematic equivalent of a decent burger from a place you’ve never heard of. It’s not going to change your life, and the toppings might be a little disorganized, but it’s exactly what you wanted at the time. Dave Bautista and Kumail Nanjiani are a duo I’d happily watch again, even if the script occasionally runs out of gas before the final destination. If you're looking for a breezy action fix that doesn't require a PhD in franchise lore, give this one a ride.