The heist film genre gives itself away to a multiple of mentalities. Yet, whether it adopts a more action-based personality or one more comedic, it ultimately plays very much by the same central narrative of a snatch-and-grab job that, more often than not, has its share of obstacles to overcome.
The Pickup, the latest heavy-name hitter-helmed product from Amazon MGM Studios, is no exception.
And whilst it dabbles in the familiar, Tim Story‘s action-comedy proves surprisingly watchable, thanks to his confident action direction and a capable cast of comedians who sell the surrounding humour. Leading the charge are Eddie Murphy and Pete Davidson, two SNL alums with wildly opposing comedy styles that enjoyably play off each other as Russell and Travis, respectively, a duo of armoured truck drivers whose first shift together could very well be their last.
Russell, who gives off that usual veteran, “I’m too old for this shit” vibe, needs the day’s shift to be an easy ride, as he’s promised his wife (Eva Longoria) he’ll be home for their 25th anniversary. Such a promise and his teaming with the more looser cannon Travis pretty much guarantees that Matt Mider and Kevin Burrows‘s script will deter these plans, and, indeed, the inclusion of Zoe (Keke Palmer, injecting her usual dose of charisma into proceedings) confirms this, a wily, no-nonsense bank robber who has learned of Russell and Travis’s travel route through Travis himself; he, unknowingly, divulging the plans in the heat of post-coital bliss the night before, following Zoe’s seduction tactic that he was oblivious to.
The film has its share of tropes and expositional dialogue, but the shared chemistry between Murphy, Davidson and Palmer make it all work more than it should; hell, even though she’s the archetypal “villain” of the piece, Palmer makes Zoe a far more sympathetic character than expected through an emotional backstory that, as manipulative as it is, at least fleshes out her motivations. Without giving away anything, Zoe’s target is a cool $60 million, and she’s got it mostly all figured out in how to extract such, but when Russell and Travis prove more trouble than anticipated, she has to rope them in on the heist itself, actions that they begrudgingly go ahead with.
The reason Zoe’s usual partners, Miguel (Ismael Cruz Cordova) and Banner (Jack Kesy), are out for the count is a result of the film’s main action sequence, a supremely well executed set piece that interweaves Russell and Travis’s bewilderment at their vehicle being hijacked, Murphy and Davidson’s witty delivery, and Story’s comfort in both the action and comedy field. Clearly more fighters than flighters when push comes to shove, Russell and Travis manage to mostly thwart Miguel and Banner at every turn, which, naturally, irks Zoe and causes her to pivot when she realises that executing the heist requires more than just her sly hands.
It’s really all ultimately designed for the trio of Murphy, Davidson and Palmer to keep The Pickup from ever dropping its momentum, even when the plot moves in directions that are practically telegraphed. It’s predictable, but it’s well directed, enjoyable performed predictability, and that’s enough for this straight-to-streaming title (which, in these times, have pretty much the equivalent of the straight-to-video temperament of lesser movies gone by) to elevate itself beyond expectation.
Despite Murphy and Davidson’s SNL connection and a pseudo “passing of the torch” like turn of mind (you can imagine Murphy inhabiting the irresponsible young buck at one point in his career), it’s Palmer that more so inhabits Murphy’s vanity-free comedic disposition, and watching her volley off both actors is genuinely exciting. She’s The Pickup‘s standout, but Murphy’s comedic inspiration can’t be denied, and it’s because of their unwavering commitment to the material that this breezy action-comedy is as easily digestible as it is.
THREE STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
The Pickup is streaming on Prime Video from August 6th, 2025.
