It didn’t need to bill itself as such on its poster: War Dogs is obviously a movie about the modern, sad version of the American Dream. If you’ve ever been to a cinema you’ve encountered this rags to prison jumpsuit story a hundred times over. Yet director Todd Phillips’ (of The Hangover fame) first foray into more serious fare, for all its obvious derivativeness, somehow acquits itself decently. Yes, the movie showcases the immaturity of its characters alongside that of its director’s abilities in this field. But the formula works because this sort of tale is so gripping and thanks to the solid performances by its talented young stars, Miles Teller and Jonah Hill.

Teller is David Packouz, a young man who, like many in our modern bumbling economy, finds himself adrift in a dead-end job and no prospects at prosperity. Packouz (a real life character...