Riff Raff premiered in the Special Presentations section at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 9, 2024, and was theatrically released in the United States on February 28, 2025, to mixed reviews from critics.
Plot
Elderly Vincent Gauthier and college age son DJ are spending quality time at their vacation cabin in Yarmouth, Maine over the Christmas and New Year holiday. Vincent's much younger wife of 18 years and DJ's mother Sandy comes back with groceries.
In the middle of the night at 4:12 am, there is a knock and DJ is surprised to see his step brother, Vincent's eldest son Rocco and pregnant Italian girlfriend Marina Bravo at the door. Unbeknownst to them, Rocco and Marina have fled a crime scene in town. They have also brought along an unconscious, middle-aged woman whom they lay on a couch: Rocco's mother and Vincent's first wife Ruth.
The next day is very awkward. DJ's attempts to wake Ruth result in a knife threat, until she realizes who he is. Sandy can hardly stand the uncouth presence of these surprise intruders, and drives into town to do errands. Dirty secrets begin to spill out as agitations among the blended family arise. Ruth tries to hook up with Vincent, whom she calls Vin.
Elsewhere, criminal partners Leftie and Lonnie stop at a roadside market to ask for directions to Yarmouth. After a slight misunderstanding, Leftie unintentionally kills the clerk.
Ruth recounts how Leftie, whom she had previously dated, had recently threatened her at her apartment. Rocco tells how Marina's ex Johnny threatened them the day before, while they were out having dinner. Johnny forces Rocco to leave Marina alone with him at the table to use the bathroom, although Rocco is clearly wary of doing so.
Rocco rushes back when he hears Marina's screams and finds Johnny attempting to rape her, causing Rocco to kill him. Running from the crime scene, they drugged Ruth, and brought her with them to the cabin. Vincent's demeanor toward Sandy and DJ grows distant as he navigates helping his former family.
Eventually, Leftie and Lonny reach the Gauthier cabin late at night, holding everyone at gunpoint in the living room as Leftie laments his son Johnny's death. He recounts how Johnny had come to his father feeling sad he could not get Marina pregnant and have a son. Instead of consoling him, Leftie had ridiculed him for his inability to carry on the family blood, driving him away. It was their last conversation before Johnny's death.
Now, Leftie seeks retribution. Ordering Lonny to kill Ruth and Rocco outside, he tells Sandy and DJ that Vincent killed DJ's father years ago, so encourages DJ to avenge his father's death. However, he turns the gun on Leftie and shoots him. Vinnie follows up with several more fatal shots.
Rocco stumbles back inside, warning that Lonny is right behind. Vincent kills Lonny before Sandy turns a gun on her husband for her own revenge. But Ruth, having survived, shoots him first, saying she was the one he should have loved.
Weeks later, with Leftie and Lonny gone, Vincent wakes from a coma. The family have survived and are on the mend as they converse around the table. Rocco and Marina welcome a newborn boy into the world.
All looks right within their world. DJ narrates the importance of family. Vincent looks directly into the camera with his newborn grandson in his arms, and smiles.
Producers are Canopy Media Partners' Noah Rothman and Signature Films' Marc Goldberg and Sarah Gabriel.[4] In May 2023, Dustin Hoffman, Jennifer Coolidge, Gabrielle Union, and Brian Cox were cast in the film.[5] In November 2023, Ed Harris, Lewis Pullman, Miles J. Harvey, and Pete Davidson joined the cast, with Harris replacing Cox.[6] In December 2023, it was revealed that Bill Murray had joined the cast replacing Hoffman.[7] In May 2024, it was revealed that Emanuela Postacchini joined the cast.[8]
Principal photography was slated to begin in September 2023.[9] By November 2023, filming was underway in New Jersey.[6]
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 56% of 63 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.1/10.The website's consensus reads: "Riff Raff assembles an incredible cast who are a pleasure to be around, but it should be a bit more fun with this much comedic talent involved."[13]Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 47 out of 100, based on 14 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[14]
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