London Calling
September 19th, 2025
MOVIE: LONDON CALLING
STARRING: JOSH DUHAMEL, JEREMY RAY TAYLOR, RICK HOFFMAN, AIDAN GILLEN, ARNOLD VOSLOO
DIRECTED BY: ALLAN UNGAR
AMovieGuy.com’s RATING: 1 ½ STARS (Out of 4)
RATED: R
RUN TIME: 114 MINUTES
There’s a desperate need for the buddy comedy to make a real comeback. While Kevin Hart and Dwayne Johnson gave it a shot for a moment, the genre hasn’t truly returned to the glory days of the 1980s. Some movies have tried, but London Calling, Josh Duhamel’s new film, isn’t the one to revive it.
The story follows Tommy Ward (Duhamel), a slick hitman whose failing eyesight causes him to botch a job, mistaking a man in a donkey mask for his intended target, who is wearing a horse mask. The victim turns out to be a relative of kingpin Freddy Darby (Aidan Gillen), forcing Tommy to flee to Los Angeles. There, he works for Benson (Rick Hoffman), who wants his awkward teenage son Julian (Jeremy Ray Taylor) to toughen up. Tommy is paired with Julian for his next hit, and the unlikely duo set off on a chaotic journey filled with missteps.
The setup is part Rush Hour, part Role Models, but without the charm or originality of either. Julian is a LARP (Live Action Role Play) enthusiast, and most of the jokes are at his expense. Duhamel, meanwhile, mostly stands around looking cool, though his vanity often derails their plans. Unfortunately, the comedy is stale. Nearly every scene involves Ward meeting shady characters, with predictable double-crosses and recycled gags. A running joke about Julian “looking young for his age” wears thin quickly- and is repeated far too often.
The plot is entirely predictable. From the outset, it’s clear the two will stumble through awkward scenarios, bond over music, and eventually form a father-son-like relationship. Julian learns to shoot; Ward softens. You’ve seen it all before.
Duhamel, for all his screen presence, lacks the comedic chops or charisma needed to carry the film. His performance is flat, offering neither laughs nor emotional depth. The narrative leads towards the eventual big meetup with Aidan Gillen’s head boss character, but the showdown between the two is neither exciting nor committed to giving a good final battle.
London Calling is painfully generic, unfunny, uninspired, and unmemorable. It delivers neither exciting action nor fresh humor, and its story is too familiar to hold interest. This isn’t the film to revive the buddy comedy. London Calling? Just hang up.
1 ½ STARS
LONDON CALLING IS PLAYING IN SELECT THEATERS SEPTEMBER 19TH, 2025.
Written by: Leo Brady
