Undoubtedly, many will enjoy the coming-of-age, sophomoric comedy Pizza Movie, which drops on Hulu on April 3. The film borrows from many comedies, such as American Pie, Superbad, and even parts of Groundhog Day and Freaky Friday, in a hyperbolic, chaotic, and frenetic way that feels like a live-action version of cinematic attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.
And that’s a shame, because even though Pizza Movie feels more like Adam Goldberg Goes to College, Sean Giambrone is hysterically adorkable in the role. The comedy ultimately suffers from a lack of a steady, disciplined hand. All of the scenes spiral into chaotic bits that work against each other rather than building a cohesive comedic narrative.
What is Hulu’s Pizza Movie about?
Peyton Elizabeth Lee in Pizza Movie (2026) | Image via Hulu
Caleb Hearon in Pizza Movie (2026) | Image via Hulu
Lulu Wilson in Pizza Movie (2026) | Image via Hulu
Sean Giambrone in Pizza Movie (2026) | Image via Hulu
Gaten Matarazzo in Pizza Movie (2026) | Image via Hulu
Sean Giambrone, Lulu Wilson, Gaten Matarazzo, Sean Giambrone, and Gaten Matarazzo in Pizza Movie (2026) | Image via Hulu
Sean Giambrone and Lulu Wilson in Pizza Movie (2026) | Image via Hulu
Gaten Matarazzo and Sean Giambrone in Pizza Movie (2026) | Image via Hulu
The story follows Jack (Stranger Things alum Gaten Matarazzo) and his best friend, Montgomery (The Goldbergs’ Sean Giambrone), who are constantly beaten down by their fellow classmates. For one, Jack is hated by the entire school. Why? We really don’t know, other than the fact that everyone keeps punching him and throwing water balloons filled with urine his way.
Everyone blames Jack for something he supposedly did to the football team, while Monty struggles with overwhelming social anxiety. That makes it hard for him to seem cool and confident in front of Ashley (Peyton Elizabeth Lee), a girl he is crushing on. Then there is the added problem of a couple of college bullies (Black-ish’s Marcus Scribner) who like to fart in their faces—literally.
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The night gets more interesting when the boys find a box of mints, each candy pink and etched with the image of an exploding head. After a quick Google search, they find a video about the illicit psychedelic substance from Frankie (SNL’s Sarah Sherman). On her YouTube channel, she explains that M.I.N.T.S. stands for “Mind Igniting Neural Tuning Stimulants.”
Hulu’s Pizza Movie Review
Gaten Matarazzo, Lulu Wilson, and Sean Giambrone in Pizza Movie (2026) | Image via Hulu
Of course, they each take one, and before the drugs settle in, Frankie suggests they eat bread, tomatoes, and some type of dairy. Yeah, that would be pizza. What happens next is a quest to grab the savory pie, but standing in their way are authoritarian RAs, a delivery robot with big dreams, a butterfly that holds a grudge, and nonstop hallucinations that may change their lives forever.
Hulu’s Pizza Movie is from Nick Kocher (Over Your Dead Boyd) and Brian McElhaney (The Amazing Spider-Man 2), both known for their two-season run as writers on Saturday Night Live. Their script suffers from a one-joke premise that tries to splinter into so many comedic genres that the movie doesn’t know what it wants to be.
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The movie leans into a hallucinatory aspect that repeats itself over and over; it is surprisingly hard to follow until you realize it hasn’t gone anywhere. It’s nearly impossible to sustain an entire film, even one just over ninety minutes, on variations of the same gag. The result drains the story of escalation, stakes, and meaningful character arcs.
Is Hulu’s Pizza Movie worth watching?
Gaten Matarazzo, Lulu Wilson, and Sean Giambrone in Pizza Movie (2026) | Image via Hulu
You cannot argue that the movie has a certain frenetic energy, and it is easy to admire the confidence with which it marches to its own beat. Yet when the simple escalation keeps going just to grab a pizza from a robot, when the characters could just, you know, head down to a Pizza Hut for a slice to save their lives, the experience begins to feel pointless, even for a comedy.
Pizza Movie, despite the numerous flaws, is funny enough, crazy enough, and has enough energy to be worth a late-night stream for a younger audience that doesn’t know any better. Especially when you tie in Giambrone’s sweet and silly comedic turn. However, the experience was just overwrought with humorless scattershot repetition that never finds the focus it needs.
You can stream Pizza Movie exclusively on Hulu starting April 3rd!
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