Paddleton review: Netflix’s next must-watch original movie

Ray Romano and Mark Duplass star in Paddleton, a small and moving Netflix Original film.

The avoidance of the elephant in the room is a big driving force of Paddleton, Netflix’s new film starring Ray Romano and Mark Duplass. When Michael (Duplass) is diagnosed with terminal cancer, he and friend Andy (Romano) strike out to help ease the transition into passing as comfortable as possible.

With such a tough subject, the movie could easily become too much to bear, but instead, it focuses in on its two leads and lets them be human, and becomes about something more important: their closeness and the things that link them.

It’s a quiet comedy, where big laughs are pushed aside to allow the characters and the actors portraying them to shine through.

Romano’s Andy is all about delaying the inevitable, boisterous in having to have his way while also scared of when he doesn’t. Duplass’ Michael takes things in stride rather well, for the most part, accepting the fate and not wanting things to be different before the end draws near.

Both actors are driven by a somewhat improvisational approach to the filmmaking, where everything feels natural and spur of the moment, which helps cement their conversations as strange and random tangents, but solely tied to their characters and feel genuine.

The friendship is the piece of the film so vital to the movie working at all, and it works wonderfully. Their love of kung fu movies and the trip to pick up a possibly unethical medication is the main push of the story, but the crux is in their friendship.

Though it may be a fairly straightforward movie, Paddleton finds a lot of power in its subtext. There a lot of important moments spent in knowing looks or glances, where unsaid words are said far louder through both actor’s faces.

It’s a touching film, even moreso in the back half, both Romano and Duplass taking their time in scenes and really driving wonderful performances about lives not quite ready to say what’s important out loud, even if it’s right there.

Alex Lehmann’s direction is subtle and careful, making sure to hold on what’s making the scene work and never letting one of the compelling performances out of the camera’s sight.

Paddleton is an effective and surprisingly emotional film, where its laughs are in its characters and its actors being human and avoiding what’s right there in front of them. It’s a heartfelt movie and is a strong addition to Netflix.