Sure,Miles Tellerhas starred in a number of coming-of-age movies throughout his career, fromWhiplashto the beloved rom-comThe Spectacular Now. (Let’s not forget the multi-talented actorstarred alongside Tom Cruise in the blockbuster sequelTop Gun: Maverick.) But there was one comedy-drama Teller starred in back in 2016 that was dubbed “infuriatingly bad” by various critics on Rotten Tomatoes.
IntroducingGet a Job, a satirical coming-of-age comedy that stars Miles Teller,Anna Kendrick, Bryan Cranston, Nicholas Braun, Brandon T. Johnson and Alison Brie. The full synopsis reads:
A young man (Miles Teller) and his girlfriend (Anna Kendrick) struggle to find desirable employment after graduating from college.
Even though the film was shot in 2012,Get a Jobremained shelved until it was finally released in March 2016 through a limited and video-on-demand release by Lionsgate Premiere and CBS Films. Well, up until recently. Years after its release, audiences have started rediscovering the comedy drama on HBO Max. On August 1,Get a Jobwas one of the newest movies to arrive on the streaming service, and it appears that it has found a new generation of fans. Currently,Get a Jobsits at the number nine spot on the “Top 10 Movies of Today” list on HBO Max, joining the ranks alongside titles likeSinners, Death of a Unicorn, Final Destination: Bloodlinesand the newly released documentaryThe Serial Killer’s Apprentice.
Critics Tore ‘Get a Job’ Starring Miles Teller and Anna Kendrick to Shreds
You would think, with a strong lead cast, thatGet a Jobwould be an instant hit. It was quite the opposite. Not only did the 2016 comedy drama receive a 21% Tomatometer rating, but critics also gaveGet a Joba 9% score on the Popcornmeter. Double yikes. Why didGet a Jobreceive such horrible reviews, you may be wondering? Well, for one, Jordan Hoffman from The Guardian slammed the movie for failing to hit the mark on so many levels, writing:
“Get A Job’s primary problem is that it doesn’t know if it wants to be a realistic look at millennials and the current economy, or go for the cheap gag about the jive-talking pimp renting out a sleazy motel.”
Lou Lumenick from the New York Post bashed the film for being a satirical comedy filled with hit-or-miss jokes that received a sloppy video-on-demand release because of the bad writing and lackluster performances from the ensemble cast, further writing:
“Crass and painfully unfunny satirical comedy shot four years ago. It’s finally receiving a token theatrical release concurrent with being dumped into the video-on-demand sludge pile.”
Nine years later, the divisive comedy drama — which only made $24,910 at the box office — has managed to find a new audience on streaming. Unfortunately,Get a Jobbecame one of those forgotten movies of the late 2010s. For now, the Miles Teller and Anna Kendrick-led comedy has become a certified sleeper hit on HBO Max. Bad reviews aside, audiences seem to be enjoyingGet a Job,even after all of these years. Let it have its moment, for however long it lasts.
