The New Guy

Directed by Ed Decter, The New Guy follows an unpopular teenager (DJ Qualls’ Dizzy) as he attempts to completely change his image at his new high school. It’s an appealing setup that is, for the most part, employed to hopelessly underwhelming effect by Decter, as the filmmaker, armed with a screenplay by David Kendall, delivers a short-yet-not-short-enough comedy that contains distressingly few elements designed to capture and sustain the viewer’s interest – with the arms-length atmosphere perpetuated by Qualls’ competent yet egregiously broad (and entirely unsympathetic) turn as the rather grating central character. There’s little doubt, then, that The New Guy‘s periodically tolerable vibe stems from its agreeable premise and smattering of compelling periphery performances, with, in terms of the latter, Decter eliciting engaging, entertaining work from such talented supporting players as Eliza Dushku, Zooey Deschanel, Kurt Fuller, and Illeana Douglas. By the time the upbeat (but underwhelming) closing stretch rolls around, The New Guy has confirmed its place as a thoroughly forgettable comedy that might’ve worked with a more personable actor in the central role. (Probably not, though.)

** out of ****