Tiny Fugitives
September 24th, 2026
MOVIE: TINY FUGITIVES
STARRING: BENJAMIN PAJAK, AARON HARRIS, JOHNNY KNOXVILLE, JAY BARUCHEL
DIRECTED BY: MICHAEL LEWEN
AMovieGuy.com’s RATING: 2 STARS (Out of 4)
RATED: R
RUN TIME: 99 MINUTES
Summer camp becomes one of the best things in life at a certain age. I remember going to Wisconsin for Ray Meyer’s Basketball Camp, and it was flat-out the greatest time of my life. Having fun in cabins with my best friends, playing basketball all day and night, watching movies under the stars, and swimming in the hot sun- it was everything a kid could want. Tiny Fugitives is a coming-of-age comedy that taps into the nostalgia of how great summer camp can be, but sadly, it isn’t funny or charming enough to win me over. With a full cast of child actors and Johnny Knoxville as a grumpy camp counselor, Tiny Fugitives has some fun ideas, but the execution leaves much to be desired.
The main character is Jacob Udell (Benjamin Pajak), who isn’t particularly popular at school. Bullies pick on him, and he sits alone at lunch. But at summer camp, Jacob is king. He spends his days with his friends Charness (Aaron Harris) and his crush, Tali (Isa Bernal Steiner), all under the watchful eye of veteran counselor Bob (Johnny Knoxville). Camp is Jacob’s happiest place, and he wants it to last forever.
When Jacob’s parents visit the camp- his father played by Jay Baruchel- he receives the devastating news that they are getting divorced and that he might not be able to afford coming back next year. Faced with the possibility of losing the one place where he feels truly happy, Jacob comes up with a plan for the kids to escape to an old abandoned camp, with the intention of living out his summer-camp fantasy forever. Of course, that sounds like a good idea until Bob goes on the hunt to bring them back, leading to some wild moments and challenges to the friendships along the way.
Similar to Good Boys, or the wild teenage antics of a movie like Meatballs, Tiny Fugitives revolves around a group of foul-mouthed kids. Written by Jacob Kaplan and directed by Michael Lewen, the film’s humor works best in the early going. There is an initial shock value to hearing kids say outrageous things, but once that wears off, the comedy increasingly relies on Knoxville crashing through walls for a laugh. Some of the individual bits work, but most of the connections between the kids feel special only to them. We are watching from the outside and never truly become invested in their various friendships. There is also a constant sense that the movie is trying too hard, leaving very little that feels natural or organic. Once you understand the joke, it begins to feel like you’re simply waiting for the next scene to end.
It’s not all terrible for Tiny Fugitives. The young cast is good across the board, and several of these performers show promise for future careers. The bigger problem is that the film never hits the funny bone often enough. Knoxville is working squarely within his element, and his presence is easily the best part, but even he can’t carry the entire movie. Lewen relies too heavily on nostalgia, crude humor, and a group of kids whose friendships we are simply expected to find endearing. Instead, I felt trapped at a summer camp I didn’t want to be a part of- and making me dislike the idea of a fun summer camp is a pretty difficult thing to do.
Tiny Fugitives made me want to run away.
2 STARS
TINY FUGITIVES IS PLAYING IN SELECT THEATERS ON FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 25TH, 2026.
Written by: Leo Brady
