Streaming Crime Comedy Spinoff To The Greatest Cult Film Ever Made
If The Big Lebowski taught us anything, it’s that you don’t mess with the Jesus. John Turturro’s Big Lebowski spinoff film, The Jesus Rolls, attempts to explain why Jesus Quintana is somebody you don’t want to cross paths with, but I can’t say that I’m thoroughly convinced he’s actually dangerous. That is to say, if Jesus were to actually pick a fight with Walter Sobchak, Walter would absolutely mop the floor with him.
The Story Begins With A Warning From The Law
The Jesus Rolls follows its bumbling titular hero and his equally unaware friend, Petey (Bobby Cannavale), after Jesus gets let out of prison. Receiving a final warning from the warden that one more run-in with the law will result in him getting locked up for good, Jesus wastes absolutely no time getting himself into trouble by stealing cars, robbing stores, and dine-and-dashing at expensive restaurants. Jesus and Petey are often in the company of Marie (Audrey Tautou), who is Jesus’ girlfriend, but also Petey’s lover.
The Jesus Rolls Plays Out Like A Sizzle Reel
Playing out like a series of comically criminal vignettes, The Jesus Rolls seems like more of a sizzle reel of Jesus’ greatest hits (and mishaps) rather than one cohesive story. Through his misadventures with Petey and Marie, it becomes clear that Jesus knows how to bark but not how to bite. Though a life of crime is seemingly all he knows, he’s also the first person to run away with no regard for the safety or well-being of his accomplices the second the situation gets sticky.
The Movie Could Have Featured More Bowling
There was also a disappointing lack of bowling in The Jesus Rolls that I think is worth mentioning. The Big Lebowski is a perfect comedy of errors with several antagonistic figures, Jesus being the primary enemy whenever the Dude, Walter, and Donny decide to take a trip to the local lanes on league night. I may have enjoyed this film more if there was some sort of high-stakes bowling game, but my expectations weren’t met on this front even though the movie’s cover is literally a bowling ball with Jesus’ hairnet draped over it.
John Turturro Got The Blessing Of The Coens
While the Coen Brothers gave John Turturro their blessing in writing, directing, and starring in this spinoff film that reprises his Jesus character, I can see why they didn’t want to further explore this kind of storytelling or be involved with the production themselves. Doubling as a remake of 1974’s Going Places, The Jesus Rolls doesn’t feel like it belongs in The Big Lebowski universe. Jesus is obviously a very memorable character in the 1998 Coen Brothers cult classic, but he most certainly wears out his welcome in The Jesus Rolls.
The Jesus Rolls Leaves Some Viewers On The Fence
Sometimes, ancillary characters don’t deserve to take center stage, and The Jesus Rolls is a perfect example of getting too much of something that we didn’t necessarily ask for. I can’t say that I hated this movie, but I really wanted to like it as a fan of The Big Lebowski. If I tempered my expectations and went into viewing this film without anticipating something that was at least somewhat-adjacent to a Coen Brothers film through its dialogue and narrative structure, I might have had a better time watching it. But there really wasn’t anything there for me to grasp onto.
The Movie Is Available To Stream
REVIEW SCORE
If you want to take a trip down memory lane (and a bowling lane), I’d strongly suggest just watching The Big Lebowski again because that’s where Jesus Quintana truly shines. But if you’re still curious about what Jesus has been doing with his free time between prison sentences, you can stream The Jesus Rolls for free on Tubi.
