Rent Goin' South (1978)

Gags at Gunpoint - Goin' South review by griggs

Sometimes a film’s charm comes not from polish but from how much fun the cast seem to be having. Goin’ South is one of those. Jack Nicholson directs himself as a scoundrel saved from the noose by an unlikely marriage, and he leans right into a broad, almost commedia dell’arte style. Everyone sounds like they’re acting through a head cold, but that just adds to the absurdity.

The supporting cast is stacked — Christopher Lloyd, John Belushi, Danny DeVito — yet most of them barely get enough screen time to stretch. Still, they throw themselves into the silliness with gusto, playing it loose rather than heavy.

The real surprise is Mary Steenburgen in her debut. She owns the room without even trying, bringing wit and steel that cut through the film’s more slapdash moments. It’s messy, uneven, and hard to take seriously, but that’s also the point. A Western played for laughs rather than grit, and it gets by on sheer cheek.