The Pickup
August 4th, 2025
MOVIE: THE PICKUP
STARRING: EDDIE MURPHY, PETE DAVIDSON, KEKE PALMER
DIRECTED BY: TIM STORY
AMovieGuy.com’s RATING: 2 STARS (Out of 4)
RATED: R
RUN TIME: 94 MINUTES
Just a week ago, it felt great to have comedy back in theaters with The Naked Gun—a film full of gags, goofiness, and genuine laughs. Now, we have The Pickup, a heist-comedy starring the legendary Eddie Murphy, a genius who should be in far better movies than this. Unfortunately, this one’s a predictable, forgettable attempt at what now passes for comedy. It’s a direct-to-streaming affair that delivers none of the laughs you hope for—and it’ll vanish into the pile of failed comedies we’ll all forget by next month.
It opens with Travis (Pete Davidson) narrating his feelings—because, of course, he does. He’s a driver for an armored truck company and, unsurprisingly, not very good at it. His partner is the veteran Russell (Murphy), who’s counting down the days to retirement and planning to celebrate his wedding anniversary with his wife Natalie (Eva Longoria). But when Travis is seduced by a beautiful woman named Zoe (Keke Palmer), it turns out she’s only using him to steal intel about the truck’s pickup routes. What follows is an attempted armored truck heist, with the rookie and the veteran teaming up to stop her. That is, if they can manage to work together long enough.
As someone who genuinely appreciates a good heist movie (seriously, check out the Scene Stealers podcast), I didn’t expect brilliance, but The Pickup still manages to disappoint. Its biggest issue is how cheap everything looks. A car chase happens on an empty road, and while no one’s asking director Tim Story to channel The French Connection, this is just lazy. The script by Kevin Burrows and Matt Mider doesn’t help either. It’s bland and painfully predictable. Of course, Palmer’s character will fall for Davidson. Of course, her tragic backstory earns her redemption. Of course, Murphy’s character has been quietly mistreated for years and now gets his big moment.
Beyond all the clichés, The Pickup fails to deliver even a single memorable joke. Remember when comedies gave us lines to quote for weeks? That’s part of what made The Naked Gun so fun—it left you laughing long after the credits rolled. Here, there’s nothing to take with you. The jokes are forgettable, the plot is paper-thin, and once again, the state of modern comedy feels like nothing to laugh about.
2 STARS
THE PICKUP IS AVAILABLE ON AMAZON PRIME ON WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 6TH, 2025.
Written by: Leo Brady
