Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘The Pest’

Written by John Edward Betancourt 

​I think it is safe to assume that we all have several movies in our collection that others would deem, dubious at best. These are the off color, weird movies that often don’t appeal to the masses. But sometimes a unique and quirky story outright calls to you in unexpected fashion and you’re inclined to bring it home, or in the case of today’s review, movies in that vein are an outright guilty pleasure, and for me, one such movie that meets that criteria and that I find myself popping in from time to time to get an unexpected chuckle from, is a 1997 comedy starring the ultra-talented John Leguizamo; The Pest.
 
Now, in this tale we are introduced to Miami con man, Pestario ‘Pest’ Vargas, who is currently in a lot of hot water since he owes the Scottish Mob fifty-thousand dollars and there’s not a chance in hell he will be able to raise that amount of money by the deadline the Mob has set. But as fate would have it, a strange opportunity falls into his lap when German Hunter Gustav Shank offers Pest quite the business proposition. If Pest were to come to his private island to join him on a unique hunting venture, he will earn himself the fifty grand. Which, seems like easy money so, Pest agrees to the deal, but there’s one slight problem when it comes to this offer in that, it’s Pest that Gustav will be hunting and the only way Pest can get his hands on the money, is to find a way to survive for the next twenty-four hours…
 
So, what makes this film quite the guilty pleasure on my part goes beyond the fact that it was a quirky box office bomb back in the day, because that would be the easy way out in explaining my love for a movie, since so many box office castoffs have turned out to be gems when we revisit them on home video later. No, instead the reason I continue to revisit this movie here and there is simply due to the fact that it throws caution to the wind in a way that few films do. Because the fact of the matter is, this is a movie that simply would not receive a green light in this day and age since it works hard to basically offend everyone with its heavy use of stereotypes and saucy jokes that give you pause and it’s just stunning to see a comedy film cross the line in that fashion anymore, and it definitely takes you by surprise at times.
 
Yet, morbid fascination aside when it comes to the envelopes this movie pushes, one reason I enjoy it so is because, there are some genuine laugh out loud moments to be found in this film. The stereo stand-off at the club is so ridiculously over the top that you simply cannot help but laugh, and there are plenty of quick physical gags and slick moments to keep you chuckling and really, the centerpiece of the movie is John Leguizamo himself, who just so happens to play Pest Vargas because John is at his absolute best here. It’s as though he bottled the more manic moments from his one man shows and channeled them into Pest here and his wild interpretation of the character and the care-free way that Pest operates simply works and he sells comedic moments that would have otherwise fallen flat.
 
However, despite my personal enjoyment of this film, the million-dollar question that hangs over this review is whether or not this is a movie that I can recommend to others and honestly, the answer to that question is maybe. Because if you’re not good with humor that is at the expense of others, then this movie is going to outright infuriate you, make no mistake about it. But, if you’re in the mood for a goofy comedy, and such matters don’t bother you, and you’re down with a unique take on The Most Dangerous Game, then this movie may be up your alley. Granted, I’m sorry to provide a wishy-washy answer there, but it really does come down to personal preference. If anything, this is one that stays on my shelf simply due to the fact that it’s bold in its own right when it comes to the jokes it tells and it really does try to have a little genuine fun with the audience. 

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