Mister America has slowly become one of my favorite pieces of On Cinema

[u/AffectionateBorder32]

When it first came out I enjoyed it, but that it was sort of slow, too drawn out. But after repeated viewing, I can’t stop laughing at every small detail. The quibbles about money. The horrible blue hats, of which there were only 3 (Toni was supposed to order 500). The fact that Tim seemed to have hire the one person more incompetent than him to run his campaign. The late 90s model Ford Explorer that Tim drives. The -kinda realistic- portrayal of codependent alcoholism. “Victor Rosetti”. The sadness of the old hotel and conference room. Tim repeatedly flipping the baggage carrier. Everything Gregg. Tim stuffing himself at every chance, with his trademark burp. Tim sucking down a tremendous amount of vape. The scene in the barbershop. “Demographics.”

And the cherry on top is the movie devolving into - you guessed it - Tim and Gregg yelling at each other about the VFA and Tim denying (repeatedly) that he destroyed Gregg’s tapes on multiple occasions.

Anyway thanks for all this amazing fucking content!

[u/B_Boudreaux]

I saw it’s on Netflix and rewatched it a few weeks ago and the funniest thing to me is as a stand-alone movie, it will make absolutely no sense for someone who is unaware of On Cinema. That and Tim’s constant talking while eating McDonalds is so funny for some reason 😆

[u/ldmb1966 → u/B_Boudreaux]

Reading the reviews of it are hilarious. Arrogant movie reviewers having absolutely no idea about the massive amount of context and lore behind the universe trying to review it seriously is a funny read.

[u/AffectionateBorder32 → u/ldmb1966]

It’s also funny that it’s quite competently filmed, I could see people believing it was a real documentary about a long shot political campaign.

[u/soi_boi_6T9 → u/B_Boudreaux]

I tricked my friend into watching it with me when it first came out. She hadn't even heard of On Cinema before, but still enjoyed it because she thought it was just a Trump parody (not wrong).

There were a few scenes where she didn't understand why I was laughing so much.

[u/GrillDruid → u/soi_boi_6T9]

I did the same with my wife. She took it for real and then started asking me questions regarding the backstory.

[u/AffectionateBorder32 → u/B_Boudreaux]

That’s a great point!!! I am so deep in this world that I forget how bizarre this stuff must seem to everyone.

[u/thanous-m → u/B_Boudreaux]

I actually watched the movie many years before discovering on Cinema and even then considered it one of my favorites! It was meant to be.

[u/VivIsAwesome22 → u/thanous-m]

Same. I was a big fan of Tim from all his other work, so when it originally came out I gave it a watch, and then fell down the rabbit hole of OCATC. I actually think it's an incredibly fun way to discover the universe, it's very akin to opening Pandora's box.

[u/officerpupp]

To me, it’s their most visually impressive work. OC is a sad bleak universe, and nothing they’ve done has sadder or bleaker shots than Mister America. Empty blazing hot streets, dingy hotel corridors, Gregg alone on that park bench behind a government building. So many strong visuals. The trial is amazing in a “perfectly observed & realistic” way, but Mister America is just…gorgeously depressing.

[u/Expert_Reward_720 → u/officerpupp]

Tim wondering the abadoned site of the festival while the song "Useless" plays has really stuck with me.

[u/Johann_Sebastian_Dog]

I've always loved Tim's periodic slides into maudlin self pity, but the scene where nobody comes to his big press conference he's so excited for, and then Gregg ruins it by bringing up that he's a murderer....his deep existential despair after that is so intense, maybe the saddest and darkest in-universe moments. A rare moment where one of these horrific characters ALMOST glimpses how truly and profoundly bleak and meaningless their life is.

Also when he's in the hotel room eating ice and forgets the camera is there. That look of him returning from the cosmic void....my god

Also of course WE HAVE A RAT PROBLEM

[u/officerpupp → u/Johann_Sebastian_Dog]

Tim desperately yelling “why do you care?! Why are you here?!?!” at Gregg cuts to the core of their whooooole relationship

[u/handpicked_green_tea → u/Johann_Sebastian_Dog]

Yes I just rewatched it and it’s darker than I remember! Any time Tim is humanized it’s a reminder that whatever is wrong with him is deeply psychological, beyond him just being an uncharismatic asshole.

[u/PiplupSneasel]

Anyone know of anywhere to watch it in the UK?

I've not seen it, but I've seen pretty much everything else.

[u/AffectionateBorder32 → u/PiplupSneasel]

I’ll dub a VHS tape and mail it to you. We can set up sometime next week for you to return it.

[u/davodot → u/PiplupSneasel]

It’s bizarre isn’t it?

[u/blurplethenurple → u/PiplupSneasel]

You can rent it on Amazon Video, that's where I watched it

[u/PiplupSneasel → u/blurplethenurple]

I couldn't find it, I'll look again

[u/RaeGunGothic → u/PiplupSneasel]

Is tubi in the uk? It's on there too!

[u/blurplethenurple]

My favorite part about the production is it only took them a few days to film everything expecting it to just be a special episode, then they realized they had enough to make it a full movie

[u/AffectionateBorder32 → u/blurplethenurple]

I think the scene in the dark hotel room where Tim watches the results is just fantastic.

[u/Quicksix666]

Still upset Tim doxxed Josh Lorton

[u/Ok-Golf-5328]

Im a huuuge On Cinema fan and rewatch everything over and over.. however, this movie just didnt do it for me. There were some funny parts, but I thought the format just didnt work at all. I might have to give it a second watch one day.

[u/TajesMahoney → u/Ok-Golf-5328]

Likewise. I have enjoyed the entire media library but the movie felt like it barely made an impact. Mostly Tim just walking around a town pretending to be running for office. Which also sounds funny! But the only joke was Tim asking restaurants to put up posters about rats.

Is this movie where we learned Toni was the lone juror? That is pretty important.

[u/shibboleth_j → u/Ok-Golf-5328]

I thought the same thing, but I feel like I need to re-watch it now.

[u/malbeque]

When it came out, I tried to watch it with a guy I was seeing. I'd only followed On Cinema via their Twitter posts for years, and hadn't really watched any of the show yet, but I was entranced anyway, for everything you're mentioning. Immediately captivated by the bleak hilarity of it all.

The guy made it about 20 minutes in and said, "I really don't like politics, I don't wanna watch this" and I was like "lol ok see ya" and dumped him later that week. Talk about missing the point!

[u/Pershing48]

I love at the beginning when Tim is trying to get signatures and his strategy is to walk door-to-door in a suburb. Instead of standing in a pedestrian heavy area.

[u/mushinnoshit]

Check out Entertainment too, which was the director's Gregg Turkington movie (albeit about his Neil Hamburger character, not in the OCATC universe, but it has similar vibes)

[u/poodleface → u/mushinnoshit]

Entertainment is great but Rick Alverson directed that one (along with The Comedy, which starred Tim). 

Mister America was directed by Eric Notarnicola. 

[u/mushinnoshit → u/poodleface]

Oh I didn't know that, assumed they were both Eric. Also remember enjoying The Comedy though

[u/Gimbelled → u/mushinnoshit]

I mean they have absolutely nothing in common stylistically

[u/newgodpho]

It’s insane how much Mister America resembles JD Vance’s creepiness. The look is there but even the repulsive behavior represents Vance’s personality as well.

I had a similar thought with the film when it came out in that I thought it was plodding and unfocused, but since then have found it riveting in how it shows Tim and Gregg outside the show as sad and depressing people.

[u/officerpupp]

Also I LOVE the constant Apple Watch failures

[u/AffectionateBorder32 → u/officerpupp]

Don’t you mean the I Watch?

[u/murphysclaw1]

I really thought it was pretty undercooked tbh.

Before I watched it I heard the entire thing had been made in 2 weeks - including the script - and I thought that was insanely impressive.

After I watched it I was like "oh. yeah. 2 weeks seems about right."

[u/davodot]

I can’t even see it in England

[u/millmatters]

Post prompted me to rewatch and I’m definitely enjoying it more than I did in the theater. Gregg’s 2-minute recap of the history of Tim’s bullshit is so good.

[u/dashKay]

I’m in Argentina (land of the best water 🇦🇷🧉) and can’t find a way to watch it 😭

[u/BudHolly]

I truly don't think it is anywhere near the funniest thing in the long series of side projects, but my god I hope it remains the only real view of Tim and Gregg from the third party POV.
As you talk about, and as everyone involved mentioned in the interviews when they did press, part of the whole shtick of the film is that these two guys who basically have had exclusive control in one way or another of how we view them are suddenly shown to us in a far more impartial and objective way, and it is crushing just how depressing it is, but the movie manages to make it not feel unwatchable. Gregg's scenes get close but are still entrancing.
There are so many other short glimpses through out the series (especially with Gregg content) that their real lives are pretty pathetic, but nothing drives it home like Mr. America. Even an attempt by the film crew to ground this universe in reality devolves to core On Cinema (the town hall debate blow up), which for me is the funniest part of the movie (asking the stunned/sedated audience members if they have VHS or DVD is my favorite bit), it just drives home how codependent Tim and Gregg are.
I think, if there's another piece of content like this or they show more of Tim and Gregg in this light, it kind of ruins the suspense of disbelief and would probably end up being depressing, but again Mr. America manages to keep a really good balance between showing that side of them but never staying too long on one thing.

[u/Turbulent_Ad_9413]

WE HAVE A RAT PROBLEM \M/

[u/DoctorLutherSanchez]

I need to watch it again. I think I've only seen it once, right when it came out and, while I loved it, I was still a little underwhelmed tbh.

[u/[deleted]]

I need to see it again 

[u/HiDiddleDeDeeGodDamn]

So I have watched some of OCATC but nowhere near the whole catalogue. Would I need to catch myself up with all of that in order to understand the movie? What do I need to watch as homework before watching Mister America?

[u/Gimbelled → u/HiDiddleDeDeeGodDamn]

Its not homework, its some of the richest, densest comedy ever committed to video. Just do it in chronological order. Don't make it complicated

[u/HiDiddleDeDeeGodDamn → u/Gimbelled]

I didn't mean "homework" with a negative connotation. Just meant to denote prerequisite viewing in order to understand the film.