Special Correspondents (2016) User Reviews (146)

Not as bad as some reviews say

[charlieinmanci · 7/10 · 2 May 2016]

Granted, it's not a movie you got out of your way to see.

But, it is just a nice film to watch. I would regard it as casual, it's one of them movies you go , well i have a couple hours to kill might as well see that.

Great movie to have on in the background.

It's slow paced relatively predictable, i do think it contains more English humor then American, but i don't think it's meant to do real big laugh out loud moments.

Not every movie should have you on the edge of your seat.

Happily watch it again

Very Enjoyable

[martimusross · 7/10 · 4 February 2019]

I laughed throughout this movie, it had a tight clever script that was delivered by a strong ensemble group.

If you like Ricky Gervais's work then this is of the highest order. I understand many won't get the British humour, the anti-hero, the underdog, the ironic situations, the self-deprecation, etc etc. But if you do this is a gem.

Decent but not special

[Cazdaraz · 6/10 · 29 April 2016]

Special Correspondents is funny but not anything spectacular. It's another one of those comedies where people make bad decisions and semi- funny things happens. I was eager to see this movie due to the cast and the story, and I expected to be entertained after seeing the first trailer. But unfortunately, it fell a little flat.

It's the perfect movie for those times you just want to watch something, be mildly entertained but not forced to really pay attention to the story. If you are easily entertained by stupid things, this movie is for you. But if you are tired of cheap jokes, clichés and stupidity, then this movie might not be for you.

My rating is based on the fact that in the end I did not feel like I had wasted a few hours watching it, it made me silently laugh a few times and it was decent. Decent but not special.

Not that 'special,' but not that bad either

[bowmanblue · 7/10 · 5 May 2016]

I'm basically a really big fan of Ricky Gervais (and if you haven't seen anything he's done before you should know that he's one of those people who you either love or hate – look him and his work up before continuing!). I pretty much watch whatever he's in, so I was quite happy to find this film on Netflix. At first, I was disappointed, but – I'm pleased to say – that it got better.

It's about a couple of radio news reporters who miss their flight to a war-torn country and have to fake their reports from the comfort of a friend's apartment in New York. However, things don't go too well and begin to spiral out of control. As I watched it I wasn't that impressed with the way it began. Basically, there weren't that many jokes in the opening half hour. I guess that they were trying to set up the characters and general plot, but the ratio of laughter to screen time suffered. However, I'm glad I stuck with it – it gets better.

After the half hour mark it does get funnier. If you've seen the promotional material you'll probably see that Ricky Gervais is starring with Eric Bana. Despite the former Incredible Hulk being the more obvious choice for leading man, I never really felt that it was 'his' film. It's like he's a token leading man to Ricky Gervais. I only noticed in the end credits that the film is both written and directed by Gervais. It's almost like he knows he's not leading man material and did his best to give a more 'traditional' star the chance to 'front' the film. However, Eric Bana never really seemed that comfortable in the role and, despite being the front man, is also the straight man. Gervais (or others) get all the best (and by 'best' I mean funniest) lines and by the time the film ends you sort of realise that it's Gervais' character who, despite being set up as 'Robin' to Bana's 'Batman' was the one who had gone on the journey and been through the character arc.

But, like I said, at the end of the day I was glad I watched it. But then I'm a fan of Gervais and, despite what you may think when you sit down to watch it, it's his film and Bana is actually the supporting cast member. I've seen some reviews on the net saying that 'Special Correspondents' is boring. I wouldn't say that, but I also wouldn't say that many people would feel like they got their money's worth if they'd paid full price to see it at the cinema. Netflix is doing wonders making and broadcasting their own stuff. And this is a prime example. It's sort of a made-for-TV movie which you'll probably enjoy because it's part of your package and haven't really had to pay through the nose to watch.

Casual fun

[Johnny_West · 7/10 · 3 February 2024]

Interesting cast of Ricky Gervais, America Ferrara, Kelly Macdonald, Kevin Pollack, Benjamin Bratt, and Eric Bana. Vera Farmiga is a villain, the unhappy wife of Ricky Gervais.

Kelly Macdonald is the co-worker who falls for the beleagured Ricky Gervais. Gervais plays his usual role of the down-trodden common man who is under-appreciated. No jokes or one-liners here, just humor.

Most of the story is pretty warm-hearted interaction between the characters. America Ferrera steals a few scenes with the warmth and friendliness of her character, who plays the local bar / taco shop owner that helps Gervais and Bana pull off their radio news scam.

Eric Bana is playing the straight man to Gervais, and is a bit of a villain too. This movie reminded me of the old Abbott and Costello films. The chemistry between Bana and Gervais was straight from them. Like most of the old Abbott and Costello films, it was innocent fun with good intentions.

Rubbish

[rkRusty · 3/10 · 29 April 2016]

As the great philosopher Karl Pilkington once said, "When anything's done quickly, it tends to be sort of s**t."

The script for this could've been done in half an hour. Either Gervais' writing ability has waned as his fame has grown, or has been hampered by the constraints of writing for film. His TV series' have been uniquely excellent; character-driven comedies occasionally punctuated by bursts of emotion. His full-length feature films however have been mediocre at best; Ghost Town had none of his irreverent wit, The Invention of Lying was just a rehash of the same ideas as his first film, and now Special Correspondents feels like the work of someone who has made too much money to care. This is a man who had the restraint to end one of Britain's greatest and most popular sitcoms and forgo a boatload of cash because he feared it would tarnish its quality. Instead he churns out this.

Clichéd characters, predictable plot, very little comedy - the entire film rides on Gervais' previous successes. Take him out of the equation and you are left with a bargain bin film with a "not quite A-List but close enough to put them on the box art" supporting cast and a story that seems to have been forcibly reworked for Hollywood by the 'men upstairs' to make as much money and appeal to as broad a range of people as possible.

Predictable, forgettable cash-grab, laden with all the tropes of a poor Hollywood comedy that an earlier Gervais would've loathed. Don't waste your time.

What did you think you were going to be watching?

[soundmeetssound · 7/10 · 30 April 2016]

If comedy is the result of characters' reactions to ridiculous circumstances with ridiculous actions then this is comedy. Not hysterical, but still comedy.

People have focused on Ricky Gervais with this so that's where I will focus, but seriously every performance turned in was appropriate to the film. And for the most part I enjoyed it.

I think if Ricky Gervais did this movie in his usual comedy style it wouldn't have worked at all. This reminds me of a time in the 90's where movies seemed to ask "How many situations can we make the Odd Couple work in?" and if this came out then I don't think it would be met with the same negativity.

It's just a light movie with a collection of decent punchlines and worked well to help pass the time on a lazy Saturday afternoon.

Had it been in theaters I could of taken my grandparents or parents to see it and enjoyed it with them but wouldn't have been pleased to have paid to see it alone.

It's by no means a classic but I'll let it land on the better side of 6.5 stars.

While I like Ricky Gervais, people who talk like he is some sort of comedic cinema great need to look at his works, he certainly tries a lot of different things but as of yet, in my opinion has only been successful in The Invention of Lying, Derek, and Extras... Honestly that's it. He's a writer/ comedian 1st and an actor 3rd.

Yes I know what I said.

Yet another clunker from Gervais

[AdrenalinDragon · 4/10 · 26 March 2021]

Ricky Gervais can be really hit and miss nowadays. From The Office to Extras, he was at top form and made consistently great stuff. His Live Stand-Up Comedies are still funny for the most part too. After that though, his track record varies as I wasn't a huge fan of Life's Too Short and found Derek pretty crappy, but After Life was kind of decent. Is he on a decline? Maybe? It's hard to say.

With Special Correspondence, Ricky Gervais wrote and directed this for Netflix and unfortunately it's mostly a miss. Any small handful of jokes that worked are filled with lots of misses and the story gets weaker as it progresses, so it becomes kind of poor by the end. I'm also starting to think Gervais is only good at himself. I didn't buy he was a geek who liked comics and video games at all.

Eric Bana and Vera Farmiga fare better in their performances, but it still can't save the weak writing which has big plot holes and could have been much better. That being said, it was a pretty easy watch and I've seen worse things from Netflix. I was kind of hoping this was going to be a comeback for Gervais, but sadly this is one of his very worst projects.

4/10.

Has some good moments - Vera Farmiga shines

[phd_travel · 7/10 · 20 August 2016]

This comedy is written and directed by Ricky Gervais. Overall the story is quite cute and there are funny moments. Vera Farmiga as Ricky's wife is terrific - after all Bates Motel is partly dark comedy too. Because it's written by Ricky there are some painfully slow moments and dialog that falls flat. Maybe he needs someone to improve his less funny parts if he ever writes again. Eric Bana is decent at comedy. Kelly MacDonald is okay too. America Ferrera could have been funnier.

The dull parts and flat jokes may cause you to turn change to another movie but that would be a shame since there are some funny parts and the whole story works out quite well.

Cringe-worthy

[beatty86 · 2/10 · 30 April 2016]

I had to make an account just to review this film because I love Ricky so much, but we can't let this pass. Am I here to throw dirt? No, I'm here to give an honest review.

Special Correspondents is special in only one way: that it actually got made. Think of some of the world's most cringe-worthy, not-worth-your- time comedies that stink of trying their hardest... and you can put this comfortably on the top of that list.

And no, it's not one of those movies that are so bad it's good because of the simple fact that it's trying so very hard to squeeze out a laugh. It's not bad for the terrible attempt at being funny, either. It's bad for legitimate reasons as well, such as the lighting, the cinematography, the make-up (DEAR GOD, WHO DID THE MAKE-UP?), and the completely missed direction. I guess the sound was okay..?

Eric Bana, Vera Farmiga, America Ferrera, and Kevin Pollack give Ricky so many chances to add color, flavor, character, story - anything to make this more than people just saying words in front of a camera - but he clearly couldn't catch any of it. Honestly, how can such a legendary comedian not understand the importance of simple timing? Let a touching shot rest a bit, shorten some of the neanderthal-like delivery, and we might have actually been able to care a little bit about these characters enough to make us laugh when things go awry.

I know I've mentioned the make-up already, but SERIOUSLY! I spent half the movie wondering if Ricky is developing skin cancer around his left eye, and Vera Farmiga must be pregnant again if she really is glowing that yellow.

The cinematography is like that of an 80's, low-budget TV series that didn't make it passed the pilot. I guess you can see what's going on... which I don't think it would matter if you couldn't.

The story is bland. You've met all these characters before, you've seen the same events unfold, there's nothing even remotely interesting or worth being invested in, and what could be interesting is clearly avoided. For example, why is a dude with such a thick British accent running around in America as a sound technician, and how did he end up with bombshell Farmiga? But I digress. You can literally piece the story together comfortably in your head within the first 20 minutes - if you last that long.

This movie just has the feel to it that Ricky is riding his own ego. I love him as a comedian, but this is absolute rubbish.

Great Movie Ignore The Negative Reviews!

[BrnzReviews · 9/10 · 25 May 2021]

It astonishes me how people can watch this movie and still after seeing this amazing film feel the need to review it badly. This film is far from a bad comedy, I can think of loads of films that aren't as funny as this one which have alot of hype surrounding them. I really enjoyed watching this film, I got the vibe of a comedy/drama type movie and it was perfect.

Ricky Gervais always makes me laugh and keeps me entertained, a perfect comedian definately in my top 5. Defaibtely an underrated movie that deserves aay more attention, I wish I discovered it sooner.

I dont know what it was about this film but I thought it was an incredible watch, deserves way more than under 6 stars which is why I've given it a 9. I loved it!

Highly recommend!

Good concepts

[jeremybertrand-97318 · 7/10 · 16 January 2023]

Seeing Ricky Gervais shoot all the bad guys on cocaine was the funniest thing i ever seen in my life.

The plot felt uncommon and creative. Took one or two unexpected left turn here in there .

Likeable character and how to describe how obnoxious is Vera Farmiga in Eleanor Finch's character!!!

I really felt as if i were there as the adventure rolled out. Especially while they were in the bar.

The thrilling soundtrack make it pretty vivid as well.

The chemistry between the two main character is based on a classic give and take snarky vs clumsy kind of thing .

It definitely got my attention all through the whole movie because of the constant development without any useless background story which i personally wouldn't mind to add in a comedy adventure like that.

Although the general work of the D. O. P didn't impressed me with any shot. Couldn't even recall one good money shot at all. Not enough angle coverd there so that definitely affect the total score for me.

I would recommend it to every Ricky Gervais Fan but i don't know if the impact would've been as nice if Albert Finch would've been cast by someone esle.

Avoid

[phesboy · 3/10 · 1 May 2016]

Unfortunately this is a really poor effort and there is very little that I can point to as a recommendation for a reason to watch it.

The plotting is all off, scenes either go on way too long or key plot points are resolved in a kind of 'oh, so that happened then' way. Consequently it lacks any energy. Gervais isn't really up to the job of acting his part and this makes it difficult to buy into it at all. Key moments ripe for comedy are repeatedly squandered, not because the film doesn't attempt to be funny, but because so many of the jokes are very weak. The script is functional but very obvious and lacks finesse. I guess the best I can say is that there's a couple of passable turns from actors but they are not really given anything to work with. That woman from Trainspotting must be wondering what she was even doing there.

It sets out to be a kind of slightly sentimental comedy with a bit of action but really fails to be touching, exciting or funny. There's literally hundreds of forgettable films from the 1980s that are far more passable than this. Seems like Ricky Gervais has just taken on more than his skillset can handle here.

Worth a watch

[bigtone-74885 · 7/10 · 16 July 2023]

I had the wrong take on this film initially - I thought Gervais and Bana were a solid duo at work, and then together plotted to dodge the trip to the war zone when assigned there. So yeah I got a surprise when the movie was different, and Gervais lost the passports etc. But that was a good thing. There were enough surprises as the movie progresses to make it worth the watch. Each escalation of their ruse was great, I especially liked the kidnapping video scene. Farmiga's character was so icky and great at the same time, she played it well, made you really cringe when she was out clearly money grabbing for herself. The only bit that lost me was when Gervais pulled a wad of cash out in the roadhouse in the war zone then promptly got kidnapped, it was sort of in his character but just absurd thing to do and I felt it right out of place, and just an excuse to get kidnapped for real. The last 1/4 of the film was not as good. But overall worth it.

Lacks in comedy, succeeds in drama.

[taryllsbaker · 6/10 · 29 April 2016]

Special Correspondents is written and directed by Ricky Gervais and stars Ricky Gervais (of course), Eric Bana, Vera Farmiga, America Farrera, Kelly Macdonald and Raúl Castillo.

A radio journalist and his technician are required to report a rebel uprising in Ecuador but instead, after a mistake with passports, end up hiding out in New York faking their own kidnapping.

Gervais' work has always been weaker in the feature film format and this is no different, albeit there are some pretty good comedic moments here and there, I think it would be easier to critique Gervais for his wonderful skill in storytelling. Special Correspondents has some really nice moments in the latter half of the movie, I'd suggest the genre he was aiming for is more dramatic than comedic and it's at this that he succeeds.

He has great chemistry with Eric Bana as they bicker between themselves about the situation they've found themselves in, and the emotional and comedic core does eventually find its way to the foreground during the final arc of the story.

The writing is surprisingly light-hearted, especially as we've all become familiar with Gervais' darker and more risqué humour before his work on 'Derek' and whilst I like the change of pace, I found myself wanting a little more of that shade of comedy. Though I'm sure this is to come in his next project centred around one of his most beloved characters, David Brent.

The original score by Dickon Hinchliffe is beautiful. Luxurious strings with gentle melodies weaved in between the altering pace of the the screenplay. Gervais appreciates the classical use of music in film and has always tried to implement it in some way.

My verdict; Special Correspondents succeeds in the tale of friendship, but lacks in the comedic approach to certain situations. It's a nice movie, however, and I think it's definitely one to watch if you have the time. (Now streaming worldwide on Netflix)

Special Correspondents, 6/10.

Predictable Uninspired Garbage

[alvinseech · 1/10 · 27 January 2019]

This is by far one of the worst watches in recent years. You know exactly what's going to happen from the first 15mins. No twists or turns, nowt.

I also found it very stereotypical with the South American couple who harbour the correspondents. Here's a newsflash USA, not all South Americans are stupid. Stop with this idiotic stereotype, it's just irritating now.

It's a predictable rom-com in disguise with an annoyingly dull and completely unrealistic script. So bad I can't even be bothered to make a joke about this one. Gervais, your movies are a let down compared to your programs. Learn to stay in your element, not just rake in anything you can just because America pays well and magnifies your fame.

Almost a good film

[comps-784-38265 · 6/10 · 6 June 2023]

First off I don't rate Ricky Gervais as an 'actor', I always see him as David Brent (from The Office)

Didn't really like the look of the film (or the reviews) so never watched it until yesterday.

I was pleasantly surprised ! It starts off really well and actually builds into something that is genuinely funny and interesting

What I didn't like

I would speculate the last third of the film was written by somebody different to whoever wrote the first two thirds. Because the last 1/3 I found rather trite and glib. Not in a terrible way but it marred what had been a solid, well made, well acted film up to this point .

The film rather rather out of steam , i've given it a 6/10 as a result

Would I watch it again ? - No.

a huge drop in creativity - but the reason is obvious.

[dharmathug · 3/10 · 18 April 2017]

I did not laugh or even chuckle, as I more and more grimly watched this production.

I won't bore you with the details, other than to say the plot was predictable once the premise was established, and was never believable. A big surprise, based on the genius of The Office and Extras. Still, when you see what a dud Derek also was, it doesn't take a genius to realize that the missing ingredient is Stephen Merchant. Once he left the collaboration, Gervais's comedic success has nosedived.

Not Laugh Out Loud - But A Decent Little Movie All The Same

[sammooney-99658 · 7/10 · 30 August 2017]

I must admit, as a huge fan of The Office, Extras and Ricky's stand up, I've become used to deep belly laughs aplenty whenever I watch the work of this great comic, and so before I sat down to watch Special Correspondents I was fully expecting a similar comedic experience. I was wrong.

To anyone who plans to watch this movie who has a similar expectation - you may be disappointed. Do not, however, deprive yourself of what is a smart, entertaining movie. Once I accepted that there would only be a few chuckles here and there, I was able to genuinely enjoy Gervais' latest outing. This felt very much like a drama/comedy as opposed to a comedy/drama.

There is a great chemistry between Gervais and Bana throughout, and for anyone who enjoys light satire this is definitely well worth a watch. I can't stress enough that if you are expecting tonnes of laugh out loud moments, you simply won't enjoy this movie for what it is, all though for fans of The Office, look out for a moment in the movie where Ian Finch (Gervais) attempts to record a heartfelt plea on video camera to the people of America, where he initially gets his tone and demeanor wrong - for around ten seconds he fully channels Brent. Priceless.

Dissatisfied and disappointed

[gittphuckt · 3/10 · 26 April 2019]

Poorly defined characters that contradict their intelligence and suave that is established in the first act. Premise is far-fetched. As the movie continues it gets more and more frustrating to watch because the characters make choices that no one would make. I'm sure this movie sounded good in a Blue Sky session but the reality is it's best avoided.

Way better than most comedies..

[DrWilhielmWonk · 8/10 · 6 June 2016]

In all likelihood it went over many people's heads, considering how inundated we are with pointless comedies that often receive a far higher rating on IMDb or higher ticket sales at the box office.

Great to see Eric Bana killing it again, but this time figuratively in a role as a self-confident, rogue reporter at a local news station. So too is the rest of the hilarious character gallery, along with their quirky foibles, from the manipulative money-grubbing sociopath played by Vera Farmiga to the over-emotional America Ferrera. Not to mention Gervais in the leading actor playing a fumbling doofus technician with low self-esteem, but with the redeemable quality of being kindhearted and well-meaning. Until he snorts coke, that is.. The film has a fair amount of subtle humor baked into the dialogue and contains a broader societal satire e.g. on the superficiality of news media, on the obsession with fame in today's docusoap infested society, and on the callous amorality of the drug gangs of Latin America, etc.

It's also a feelgood movie you leave with a smile, but that nonetheless doesn't suffer from being syrupy and maudlin which is so typical for the genre. The low-budget remake of the original French film feels like a fresh take in a world where Hollywood constantly churns out focus group-tested flavorless rom-coms.

Simple, plausible storyline, entertaining

[cruise-28036 · 7/10 · 14 November 2023]

A nice break from complex multi storyline movies. Ricky and Eric deliver on this one. For those with real world exposure to these war scenarios, can see the irony that what is portrayed as comedic, is not that far from truth, at times.

As with a lot or Gervais work, I think this is one comedy that may go over the head of movie reviewers that are used to seeing so many movies, that an expectation of large budgets and traditional story lines may have jaded their views on some movies.

The actors(res) playing various roles, all played their parts well, and captured the characters.

I wont comment on specifics as I don't like spoilers.

Stale and Uninspired,

[lesleyharris30 · 5/10 · 24 December 2018]

Special Correspondents is a mediocre movie with a shoddily written plot and a cast that are enjoyable but have been much better. Ricky Gervais and Eric Bana certainly have an excellent back and forth that makes for a very enjoyable viewing, It is just unfortunate their natural chemistry was put together with unnatural dialogue.

I am a huge fan of Ricky Gervais, and it upsets me to see him deliver such average work, but the film really does feel unfinished, like there was so much more that could have been done to make this far better, for instance, strengthening the plot, but the passion just was not there. He definitely did not have half as much intrigue for this as he had for the likes of The Office or Extras, he was just asked by Netflix to make a movie and did.

The characters are also immensely two dimensional, none of them have a quality that adds a real human element to them, every thing they say feels written.

A stumbling mess. Not without its moments, Special Correspondents, unfortunately, does not have enough for me to recommend this.

Two down on their luck men fake a kidnapping while they hide out in New York.

Best Performance: Eric Bana

our man in Ecuador

[gilleliath · 6/10 · 15 December 2021]

Though set in America and seemingly made with Canadian money, this very much has the feel of a British screen comedy - quirky, low-key, with a few laughs, but basically *small*. Gervais claimed the writer's credit, IMDB says that the story was conceived by other people, but actually the idea strongly resembles Graham Greene's book (made into a film with Alec Guinness) Our Man In Havana: people for their own reasons pretend to be in on great events, only to get into trouble when others start to take them at their word. It isn't as good as that, though.

Gervais takes full advantage of his control of the project to cast Vera Farmiga as his wife and Kelly MacDonald as his love interest. Nice work if you can get it! But he was never exactly Cary Grant and I'm afraid, by the time this was made, he was really not a romantic leading man. Besides, Farmiga, diddy as she is, towers over him.

It's alright

[DirkDiamond · 7/10 · 12 December 2023]

A little better than the average it seems to have got on IMDB, and similar rating areas.

Well written, well acted, and all that. Seemed well directed. I didn't realise Ricky Gervais also directed and wrote the movie, until the end, and he's done a fairly decent job.

It's full of utterly absurd stuff, and requires a suspension of disbelief, to some extent, which helps, regards the situations, however the human character portrayals are decent, with respects the personalities that get caught up in situations like this. I loved Vera Farmiga's character in this - really well done! Ricky Gervais' character was also very likable among characters like Vera's and Erics!

It's a very easy watch, pretty much done and dusted in about 90 mins (excluding the credits).