Look, if you’re considering watching this stoner murder mystery comedy there’s a good chance it’s because you have fond feelings towards someone involved. 

And well, you should. The cast is delightful, and each has built a well of goodwill from past performances, but Most Likely To Murder is a film that exists on that portable goodwill from other projects. You only have to take a look at the film’s bare poster, which foregrounds the main cast rather than any aesthetic or concept, to confirm the creative team knows that.

Each lead is recognizable from a televised critical darling or two. First, there’s The Mindy Project’s Adam Pally playing attention-thirsty man-child, Billy, whose career has stalled as a bathroom attendant in Las Vegas. When he returns to the town he lorded over in high school, he’s flummoxed to find his former girlfriend, Kara (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend’s Rachel Bloom) has hit it off with town outcast, Lowell, (Mad Men’s Vincent Kartheiser). The two are growing up while Billy is as directionless as ever. So, when Lowell’s hermetic mother dies mysteriously, Billy aims to convince Kara that her mild-mannered beau, Lowell, is a troll on a murderous roll. And he has some evidence.

This is the first feature from Dan Gregor, who, like his cast, earned his reputation on television, producing and writing for How I Met Your Mother and Crazy-Ex Girlfriend. This film is a trial balloon for his creative team, a test case for moving between the forms they’ve found success in –television and Youtube shorts– and the untried ground of independent film. I’m biased in favor of these artists prior work, so the question for me became, will this entry in their careers grow my goodwill or squander it?

The answer it turns out is neither. This was a true neutral viewing experience. It’s thoroughly okay. It won’t sink or launch careers, just keep them moving. It’s a humble debut with a few smart flourishes that suggest more ambitious offerings from Gregor in the future.

…In the end, I didn’t find a comedic or emotional thread that elevated the film for me, just nuggets of weird promise here and there…

The plot traffics in tropes, particularly the over-grown high school jock, now a flailing thirty-something, trying to reclaim his glory days. The aim of the creative team, then, becomes to enliven this tired premise with their distinct voice.

They have moderate success. Billy, the main character, is massively un-likable. A bully with a poor-me attitude who avoids reflecting on his past, lies compulsively, and expects his town to fawn over him anyway. However, the film is well aware of his awfulness and delivers a lot of low blows to its lead bro as he sulks around in pajamas, reminiscing about old sex tapes. Be forewarned, there are butt-crack shots as the film doubles down on Billy’s humiliating life. Pally is a game, unselfconscious performer but the editing and scripting of his mishaps can get stale. For me, it crossed the line from cringe comedy to cringe.

The more commendable aspect of the film was the confidence and sexual frankness of Bloom’s character, a former cool girl who didn’t give a shit about anything in high school, now trying to function as an adult. She doesn’t have enough screen time, but she’s more acerbic than the typical imperiled girlfriend character, and her emotions always track as she takes Billy down for his meddling ways.

Still, in the end, I didn’t find a comedic or emotional thread that elevated the film for me, just nuggets of weird promise here and there, like the sub-plot of the pregnant woman revolted by the smell of pears or a scene at a “Jews vs goys” local football game. The gags were mildly funny and the suspense mildly stressful. The character arcs found some emotional heft, but this wasn’t given much breathing room amidst final act twists.

If your fandom of one of the creators compels you to seek out Most Likely To Murder, I won’t discourage you. But it’s optional viewing for a creative crew that have essentials in their past, and, I hope and believe, essentials in their future. Many filmmakers cut their teeth on fare like this, unearthing stylistic and thematic goals gradually. This film didn’t dampen my excitement for their future endeavors, but it’s a pit stop, not the main attraction.

‘Most Likely to Murder’ is rated R for crude sexual content, language throughout, some graphic nudity and drug material. 90 minutes. Now available on VOD via Lionsgate’s Studio L.