In The Unexpecteds, Every Underdog Has Their Day

The underdog is not a new archetype by any means, but as a figure of economic unrest and rage at the system, it seems more timely than ever. This is especially true in The Unexpecteds, an indie comedy with a heart too big to contain one genre. The indie action-comedy, directed by Alejandro Montoya Marin and produced by Kevin Smith, follows a group of friends led by Gary (Matt Walsh) as they seek revenge on an influencer who’s scammed them into investing in his cryptocurrency. 

The scammer, Metal Mike (John Kaler), is a pastiche of any number of hypermasculine influencers who project an air of power rooted in the fantasy of an alpha-male ideal no one could ever live up to. In the opening sequences of the movie, we take a look at Metal Mike’s aggressive motivational approach to his audience: shirtless in a hot tub, surrounded by beautiful women in bikinis, he barks into the camera about how easy it is to stop being poor, if only you could work, like him, to get rich. This proximity to power is seductive to Gary and his friends: Pati (Chelsea Rendon), Carl (Francisco Ramos), and Kurt (Gerry Bednob). Who wouldn’t want stability at a time when it feels so elusive?

When a sobbing Mike appears on the livestream, blubbering about everyone’s money being gone, the group realizes they are too late: they’ve been scammed. As they all navigate the fallout in their personal lives from their financial leap of faith run amok, they are forced to take a singular path towards justice: revenge on Metal Mike. Vengeance is no easy road, though, and the group of friends must turn to Carl’s estranged dad, Felipe (Alejandro de Hoyos) for his expertise as a general badass. Felipe’s path as an agent of shadowy organizations has placed a wedge between him and Carl that he desperately wants to fix, and Carl entices him with the promise of a father-son dinner if he’s successful in instructing this group of average joes in the art of retribution.

If you’ve seen any action movie based on seeking revenge, you can probably see where the beats of The Unexpecteds will land. What sets it apart, however, is the earnestness at the film’s core and its timeliness. In our turbulent political and economic moment, the group at the center of the film is more relatable than ever. And thanks to committed performances from Walsh and company, the film is always deeply felt and funny. Walsh, in particular, hits beats that are both familiar and surprisingly complex to anyone who’s seen him as hapless communications director Mike McLintock on Veep. Walsh can traipse between frustrating obliviousness and genuine feeling with a breeziness other actors would struggle with, and remains charming all the way through. The rest of the team is great to watch as well, including De Hoyos’s incredible physicality in his action sequences. 

When we catch glimpses of them confronting their losses, each character has a grounded foundation that makes the action all the more engaging. As we watch Carl deal with the struggles of finding an acting gig, Pati deal with her loser ex-husband, and Gary try to put back the pieces of his now destroyed home life, we can’t help but root for them. They are deeply human, wading in the consequences of their gamble, but determined to make things right and start fresh. It can be hard to tell a redemption story under the guise of comedy, but the performances of this cast sell it well, and make The Unexpecteds an action comedy that is larger than the sum of its parts.

Ultimately, The Unexpecteds is about people trying their best to navigate a system that is designed to make sure they never win. Yearning for stability, for economic security, and even power, is understandable at a moment when everything feels like it can fall apart at any time. We almost can’t blame the group for thinking their salvation could be found in a scammy cryptocurrency sold by an online hack. Desperation can embolden us to our worst instincts, blowing up our lives in service to the idea of success. It’s a heavy concept, but at least The Unexpecteds is able to have fun with it. The film turns the depressing truth behind the group’s gamble into an action comedy worth seeing. For a moment, we can tag along with Gary and company and have a taste of retribution, too.

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