Originally premiering in 2010 at the Sundance Film Festival where it also received a Grand Jury Prize nomination (the fest’s highest honor), the Jesse Eisenberg-starring Holy Rollers, based off of true events where, in 1998, one million ecstasy pills were smuggled into the US, makes its free VOD debut today exclusively on SnagFilms (the award-winning social video-viewing platform and 2014 Webby® nominee) and all supported devices, including their multi award-winning app.
Flashback to five years ago and Jesse Eisenberg would soon make his star-making turn in the Academy-Award Best Picture nominee, The Social Network. However, before he would receive his Best Actor nomination for playing Mark Zuckerberg, a mild-mannered man whose drive and obsession for success leads to turbulent consequences, Eisenberg would showcase another performance as a mild-mannered man whose drive and obsession for success leads to turbulent consequences.
The main tension in the movie comes from Sam’s commitment to his religion, community, family, and ultra-orthodox lifestyle that stands in stark contrast to the late-night, drug dealing and partying scene.
Here, Eisenberg plays Sam Gold, a young Rabbinical student from an ultra-Orthodox Jewish community in Borough Park, Brooklyn. Sam is a caring young man, who is seen doing right by his family and church. His good intentions are shown by him working with his father in a family-owned fabric shop, where Sam’s impulse to bargain with customers for his best deal is dismissed by his father, showing initial hints of big money ambitions as well as frustrations that stop him from receiving that. So when the opportunity comes up to turn a quick buck, Sam and his best friend Leon (Jason Fuchs) accept a job from Leon’s brother Yoseph (Justin Bartha) to retrieve a suitcase in Amsterdam and walk it through customs in New York. The fact that the suitcase is revealed to carry pure MDMA (ecstasy) only deters Leon, while Sam continues to smuggle the pills, much to the imminent danger that soon spirals out of control.
Holy Rollers is a well-made movie that tells this incredible true story in a very personal way. The main tension in the movie comes from Sam’s commitment to his religion, community, family, and ultra-orthodox lifestyle that stands in stark contrast to the late-night, drug dealing and partying scene. To see Sam, in his traditional suit, fedora, and payot (hair ringlets), tagging along on drug deals, in night clubs, and other party scenes, is a large part of what makes this movie work. Director Kevin Asch successfully shows the arc of Sam’s transformation, from a well-intentioned family man who abides to not shaking hands with a woman out of respect to an unapologetic drug-dealer that falls for his new boss’ girl and more.
Holy Rollers takes the classic story of a guy getting in over his head with a fast and rough situation and gives it a unique treatment. Although the film sags at times and could afford to explore the bigger threats of the drug-dealing/rave-centric world, the movie is a great watch with a great performance by Eisenberg.
Holy Rollers is available to stream now at SnagFilms.com.
