‘The Pickup’: Poor, Harmless Fun
In this modern era of streaming, there is no shortage of straight-to-streaming action comedies with talented actors pulling off whacky hijinks, fun action sequences with generic arcs and predictable storylines with maybe a hint of social commentary. The Pickup certainly has an interesting premise and has a potentially strong comedic cast on paper but ultimately adds nothing new to the formula. It is as generic as it gets, a decent turn your brain off time killer or background noise at best and a boring, dull affair at worst.
The film was released on Amazon Prime on Wednesday, August 6, 2025. It was directed by Tim Story with a screenplay by Matt Mider and Kevin Burrows, The Pickup follows armored car driver Russell Pierce, played by Eddie Murphy, who is nearing retirement. It is his 25th wedding anniversary and he is paired with Travis Tolly, played by Pete Davidson, a young driver. The mismatched pair get ambushed on their drive by a criminal named Zoe, played by Keke Palmer, who has a particular connection to Travis and a vendetta against the system.
The plot starts of interesting. The film makes you think at first it might be a humorous, extended 90-minute chase sequence, which is an interesting premise. Unfortunately, any interest is washed away as the story plays out fairly predictably. The transition from car chase to heist is sloppy and because of the short runtime, there is no room for character growth, development or solid build-up to payoffs. The characters are all one-note as a result, and any hint of depth is about as deep as a puddle. There are attempts, particularly in the case of Zoe, but the film simply does not have the time. Perhaps if the focus was more on the car chases instead of goofy, unengaging heists, then the lack of character work could be forgiven. There is little reason to truly dissect the plot as the film itself serves purely as a vessel for fun action and comedy, but let it be known that there is heavy contrivances, baffling character decisions and requires the police and security forces to be woefully incompetent. The film wants to present Zoe as smart and cunning but that is difficult to believe since the only reason she comes across as such is because everyone else is stupid. But perhaps the most disappointing aspect of the whole film is the surprising lack of chemistry between actors.
Certainly, the idea of pairing up Pete Davidson and Eddie Murphy sounds good on paper, as both are talented individuals who could definitely carry a film with their flair for comedic timing and strong charisma. It is unfortunate then that the script fails to take advantage of it. The dynamic of jaded and strict old-timer and a hot-headed, emotionally immature new guy is tried and tested, but here it just does not work for this acting pairing, especially in Murphy’s case. His roles are often defined by quick wit, fun naivety and constant talking, none of which is utilized here. Forcing him to be the straight man robs him of his strongest aspects in a film that is in dire need of them. Davidson’s brand of comedy is allowed to flourish somewhat, but most jokes go on for far too long. Both actors are not allowed to play off each other, which is a real shame. There are a few jokes here and there that get a chuckle, but proportionally speaking, there are far too many unfunny ones.
The only performance that could be considered interesting is Keke Palmer as Zoe. She understands her character well, and is often charismatic, witty but decently vulnerable and emotional. But that really is about it. Eva Longoria is also here as Natalie, Russell’s wife, and in a short amount of screentime, she proves to be stronger comedically speaking than both Murphy and Davidson. The film could have done with more of her.
The other aspect that this film banks on is its action which on the whole is a mixed bag. The first attempt at robbing the truck is decently fun, with some cool stunts and good comedy of errors. There are even a few fun bits of colour and editing. If the rest of the film kept up this energy, it certainly would be considered above average. Alas, that is not the case as the film transitions to a heist in the second act before a big blowout action sequence for the final act. All of which suffer from the film’s overall lacklustre direction and cinematography. There is little energy behind the camera, no interesting shot compositions or movements. The film flirts with a unique style in its opening credits and a few montages, but the rest of it is bland and nearly soulless. It feels at times cheaply done, with little ambition in being stylish or memorable. This is all compounded in the film’s final act, a big blowout chase scene with dull characters, uninteresting camera angles, unambiguous bland bad guys and some very poor CGI. The whole thing will leave the viewer’s mind once they watch it.
Overall, The Pickup is not a terrible film, just a bland and inoffensive one. It wastes its talented cast of actors, has a basic plot, bland direction and middling action sequences. It is a typical streaming film, something to put on in the background while doing something else or to clear the mind on a stressful day. It certainly works for those two purposes, but those looking for something so bad it’s good or a stylish action-comedy should look elsewhere.