Pete Davidson and Eddie Murphy in a still from ‘The Pickup’
| Photo Credit: Prime Video
When you put together a buddy comedy, a heist, some high-speed chase sequences, and of course, comedic superstar Eddie Murphy, the potential is immense. And Prime Video’s The Pickup starts strong, given the comedy goldmine they potentially have on their hands.
An armoured truck driver and guard, Travis Stolly (Pete Davidson), runs into a beautiful woman (Keke Palmer) in a bank. After a spot of confusion, which involves him whipping out his gun and inadvertently holding everyone in the bank hostage, they soon strike up a conversation. A dinner date and a romantic weekend follow, and Travis simply cannot believe his luck (quite chuckle-worthy if you consider Pete Davidson’s string of high-profile romances). On his next work shift, he is paired up with Russell Pierce (Eddie Murphy), a veteran truck driver who is grumpy, has little time for niceties or incompetence, and just wants to be back home in time to celebrate his wedding anniversary.
Things obviously do not go as planned. What starts off as a routine cash pick-up day soon morphs into something out of the ordinary. Travis and Russell soon find themselves being pursued by a three-member gang on the highway that is a blind spot for communication; they are unable to call for help or let anyone know of their predicament. It is time for Russell’s experience and focus, and Travis’ killer driving skills and antics, to be put to good use.
Keke Palmer in The Pickup
| Photo Credit:
Prime Video
When it begins, it begins well. The premise here is great, and you’re ready for an hour-long chase, with a generous dose of laughs. But after our crime-fighting duo outwit the gang and are surprisingly efficient with fixing their truck’s botched tyre, things get chaotic — both on the road and with the writing.
The Pickup (English)
Director: Tim Story
Cast: Eddie Murphy, Pete Davidson, Keke Palmer, Eva Longoria
Runtime: 95 minutes
Storyline: Two armoured truck guards and drivers find themselves pursued by a gang of criminals who have sinister plans for the cash they are transporting
What could have been a simpler and immensely funnier film now has a bigger heist, villains who suddenly stop being inefficient and decide to take the menacing route, and a very misplaced sob story for one of the lead characters. The laughs become few and far between, and the plot needlessly convoluted. While Pete Davidson is well cast as a scruffy and bumbling loafer, you can’t help but roll your eyes at him like Eddie Murphy’s Russell does after the jokes start to get unfunny.
Pete Davidson, Eddie Murphy and Keke Palmer in a still from ‘The Pickup’
| Photo Credit:
Prime Video
One obviously can’t help but remember how Eddie Murphy’s Beverly Hills Cop movies redefined the buddy action-comedy genre; that spark, unfortunately, is missing here, given how both actors have little material to work with. Keke Palmer, meanwhile, gets the better-written role, while Eva Longoria as Russell’s wife does the best with what she is given.
On paper, The Pickup has a lot going for it. A road-trip, buddy action-comedy? This is a genre we do not have enough of, and something that would do great on OTT for lazy TV watching. Given its potential and crisp runtime, The Pickup could have done with more sparkle, and laughs.
The Pickup is now streaming on Prime Video
Published – August 08, 2025 06:02 pm IST
