It feels like every generation wants and needs a coming of age stoner film they can relate to, whether that is at college or later in life, with it feeling like an awfully long time since Hollywood has provided audiences with one of note. Step forward Pizza Movie. Taking inspiration from legendary films like Superbad and the original American Pie entries, Pizza Movie is almost guaranteed to be a crowd pleaser despite the dramatic side of the narrative not landing as well as the rest.

The film, co-written and co-directed by Nick Kocher and Brian McElhaney, follows Jack (Gaten Matarazzo), the college’s punching bag who is hated by absolutely everyone due to him “sabotaging” the football team, and his roommate Montgomery (Sean Giambrone), a far more awkward character crippled by social anxiety and a growing crush on the more outspoken and alternative Ashley (Peyton Elizabeth Lee).

Because of Jack’s infamy, he and Monty are terrorised in their dorms relentlessly by the “alphas” who love nothing more than literally farting in their faces. Among the group of bullies is one of their old mutual friends, Lizzy (Lulu Wilson), who clearly sticks out like a sore thumb as she desperately tries to fit in with the cooler kids to avoid becoming the butt of the jokes.

As advertised in the crazy trailer, the night kicks up a thousand notches when the boys discover a ten-year old box of M.I.N.T.S. (Mind Igniting Neural Tuning Stimulants), vibrant pink pills containing psychedelic substances. The boys, and inadvertently Lizzy, each take one before learning about the dreadful consequences of taking the drugs without food in the form of the most messed up trip of their lives. The only thing that can save them from their impending doom is pizza. Yes, that’s right, pizza.

From there, what should be a simple task of going down two flights of stairs to get the pizza turns into something far more chaotic as the film leans heavily into its outrageous and trippy core. The trio move through the six phases of the high, with each one more ridiculous than the last. It is frantic and chaotic in the best possible way, delivering some genuinely side splitting comedy that is simple but incredibly effective.

The film works so well because of the commitment from the entire cast. Gaten Matarazzo and Sean Giambrone in particular are sensational. Both prove they have the comedic ability to carry a film and handle the heavy lifting with ease. Lulu Wilson, more commonly known for her roles in horror, effortlessly translates her talents into comedy. Jack Martin as Blake, the leader of the RA dorm squad, is phenomenal as he plays a character remarkably similar to Hans Landa from Inglourious Basterds, as absurd as that sounds.

There is a more dramatic side to Pizza Movie that focuses on fractured friendships and the repairing of those bonds, but that thread occasionally gets lost in the chaos and never quite lands with the emotional impact Kocher and McElhaney seem to be aiming for. The final act briefly pushes this element to the forefront and almost derails the momentum, but the film manages to regain control quickly enough to ensure everything comes together nicely by the end.

Packed with hilarious references to Lord of the Rings among many others, it is great to see directors taking audacious swings like this. It may be stupid and it may be silly, but Pizza Movie is incredibly self aware of what it is and who it is for, and it runs with that confidence. An experience best enjoyed with friends and a takeaway pizza when it lands on streaming in April, Pizza Movie is definitely a film that needs to be seen to be believed.