A Convoluted Plot Almost Ruins This Breezy Action-Comedy

A myopic hit man and a gangster’s goofy son bungle their way to friendship in London Calling, a funnier-than-expected action-comedy with a wacky supporting ensemble of crazy criminals. The film gets big laughs, despite a convoluted narrative that has way too much going on. It runs thin during an extended climax with more twists than a pretzel, but remains entertaining because the likable leads have comic chemistry. Stars Josh Duhamel and Jeremy Ray Taylor are easy to root for as the body count stacks up in a strained runtime. A leaner edit with fewer subplots would have worked better, but you’re admittedly still chuckling as the credits roll.

On a rainy night in London, hit man Tommy Ward (Duhamel) dons a mask and slinks around a highbrow costume party looking for his target. He fishes instructions and a gun from a toilet tank, squinting as he struggles to read the tiny print. He’s supposed to kill a man wearing a horse mask, but Tommy chases a hapless victim dressed like a donkey instead. The terrified man swears Tommy’s got the wrong guy, claiming that he’s actually a relative of the feared crime lord Freddy Darby (Aidan Gillen). Tommy ignores his pleas and finishes the job, only to realize he has indeed capped Freddy’s wife’s cousin. And so Tommy has mere hours to say goodbye to his young son (Finnley Barnett) before fleeing the country.

A Mismatched Pair with Good Chemistry

A year later in Los Angeles, a depressed Tommy has found murderous employment with Benson (Rick Hoffman), a Jewish gangster with a bad temper and serious machismo issues: He believes a man has to be “tough as nails” and “handle his own business.” Benson’s biggest problem is his 18-year-old son Julian (Taylor), a shy nerd who enjoys LARPing (that’s live-action role playing, for those who’ve never wielded a foam sword) and gets his butt kicked by bullies on a daily basis. Benson decides that Julian needs to get his hands dirty and stop being such a wimp. Tommy’s stupefied when Benson orders him to take Julian along and have him pull the trigger on his next contract.

London Calling has a few gags that remain solidly effective throughout, like Tommy’s refusal to admit he’s nearsighted and Julian’s LARPing affinity. Director and co-screenwriter Allan Ungar (Bandit, the Uncharted Live Action Film) knows how to squeeze an orange for the most juice, cleverly finding different situations to make the protagonists’ biggest issues continue to pay off. This is one of the film’s best tenets, and makes their collective chemistry believable.

Josh Duhamel as Tommy

Credit: Quiver Distribution

The tall, muscular and handsome Duhamel gets a perfect foil in the corpulent Taylor. Tommy and Julian seem to be a mismatched pair, but they complete each other in significant ways. Benson continually berates Julian for being a disappointment. Tommy’s ex-wife (Daniah De Villiers) calls him a loser and a pathetic father who shouldn’t have any contact with his son; Julian, who’s always been a laughingstock and underestimated, finds a surrogate father figure who begrudgingly grows to like him. Tommy sees the positive side of Julian, and genuinely tries to help him find his own footing. This means teaching Julian to be a killer, which in itself is darkly humorous and problematic.

Hoffman nearly steals the show as Benson, whose bare-chested tracksuit and spray tan are a perfect fit for his truly abrasive personality. Benson actually loves Julian, but is disgusted that he’s not a ruthless badass to carry on the family’s criminal legacy. Benson doesn’t sugarcoat his business for Julian, and wants him firmly aware of every ugly detail involved in being a boss. Benson also yells at his Russian wife (Jazzara Jaslyn) for her domestic failures, but can’t do even the simplest chores for himself. He adds a fun supporting element to the film, which unfortunately goes overboard with too many tangents.

Jeremy Ray Taylor as Julian

Credit: Quiver Distribution

London Calling gets lost when Julian and Tommy’s adventures lose focus from the primary plot. The fantastic Aiden Gillen, the film’s real villain, vanishes for the majority of the story, and his presence is supplanted by a host of other kooky — and unnecessary — characters. An unstoppable assassin is thrown into the fray, but there’s no need for such a big deviation. There are too many things that need to be resolved here, leading to a finale that’s head-scratching at best. It feels like the film has multiple endings when events that should wrap the story lead to other bewildering outcomes. Unger achieves a good pace and comedy, but then doesn’t know when to quit.

London Calling has good enough gun play, shootouts and car chases to tick the requisite action boxes. The film’s strengths lie in the leads, their palpable connection and Hoffman’s performance. Everything else is overkill that almost derails a breezy good time.

London Calling is a production of Barreling Wave, Short Porch Pictures and Mannequin Films. It will have a limited theatrical release from Quiver Distribution.