30 Minutes or Less

Nick, portrayed by Jesse Eisenberg, is a slacker pizza delivery driver whose laid-back lifestyle is punctuated by his habit of indulging in marijuana. Unfortunately, his inability to adhere to the “30 Minutes Or Less” policy at work draws the ire of his boss, Chris (Brett Gelman). Complications arise when Nick’s friend Chet, played by Danny McBride, uncovers that Nick has been involved with Chet’s twin sister, Kate (Dilshad Vadsaria), igniting tension between the two friends. To make matters worse, Chet reveals that he was the reason for Nick’s parents’ divorce, having informed Nick’s father of his wife’s betrayal, which effectively ends their friendship in a furious confrontation.

Simultaneously, we follow two older miscreants — Dwayne King, brought to life by Danny McBride, and his associate Travis Cord, played by Nick Swardson. Both are living in the oppressive shadow of Dwayne’s overbearing father, the Major (Fred Ward), who recently won multi-million-dollar lottery winnings. Dwayne confides to lap-dancer Juicy (Bianca Kajlich) about his disdain for his father, who is selfishly spending what Dwayne believes is his inheritance. Juicy provides a sinister solution: hiring a hitman to eliminate Dwayne’s father for a price of $100,000. Dwayne and Travis devise a reckless plan to kidnap a stranger, place a remote-controlled bomb on him, and force him to rob a bank to procure the funds needed for their hitman.

Their reckless hunt leads them to order a pizza, hoping Nick will deliver. Upon his arrival, Dwayne and Travis, disguised in gorilla and monkey masks, abduct him, chloroforming him in the process. Nick awakens to find a bomb vest strapped to him, with a countdown timer and a phone-trigger, leading Dwayne and Travis to inform him that he has ten hours to complete the robbery or face lethal consequences. Demonstrating the bomb’s power, Dwayne horrifies Nick by blowing up a stuffed Teddy bear to drive home the gravity of the situation. They leave him with the threat that any attempt to seek police assistance will trigger the bomb.

In a frantic bid for help, Nick turns to Chet at the latter’s school, revealing his dire predicament. With no other choice, Chet reluctantly agrees to assist Nick in robbing a bank. They gear up with toy guns, spray paint, and ski masks, and decide to use Chet’s family friend’s Datsun 280ZX to evade the authorities. When the duo executes the bank heist, chaos ensues as a dye pack explodes, forcing them to flee as police begin to close in.

After narrowly escaping capture and evading police by blending in with a crowd on a city bus, Nick reaches out to Dwayne, claiming he has the money in hand. Meanwhile, plans shift as Dwayne and Travis instead seek out Juicy to connect with their hitman at a restaurant, showcasing their misguided ambitions—clearly, tensions are rising, especially between Dwayne and Travis, who fear their criminal endeavors are spiraling out of control.

Things further complicate when Nick finally meets Dwayne and demands the bomb code in exchange for the cash. However, he finds himself double-crossed as Dwayne’s machinations begin to unravel with Chango, the hitman played by Michael Peña, arriving unexpectedly, leading to a tense exchange. Chet and Nick fight back, but betrayals and confrontations escalate as Chet attempts to remove the bomb vest under duress.

The stakes heighten on arrival at the scrapyard, where Dwayne has kidnapped Kate, threatening her life unless Nick delivers the money. Dwayne’s false benevolence breaks as he demands the code—one that relates to his preferences, hilariously leading to a darkly comedic conclusion. Swift-thinking now fuels Nick’s survival instincts as he tries to exploit Chet’s bravado to assuage their dire circumstances.

As the plot reaches a frenzied climax, all parties collide in a battle against each other, with explosions, chases, and the stark reminder of the consequences of their decisions leading to unexpected revelations. The devastation culminates in a final showdown, showcasing not just the chaos of their rash actions, but the impact on their lives and relationships.

Finally, after the dust settles and chaos reigns throughout their reckless undertakings, the trio of Nick, Kate, and Chet reflect on their good fortune amidst the comical aftermath of their misadventures, with a post-credits scene teasing Dwayne, Travis, and the Major’s improbable survival and their misguided attempts at starting a new business. The movie closes on a humorous note, exemplifying how chaos and comedy can intermingle explosively.

Last Updated: November 03, 2024 at 20:45