Between Two Ferns: The Movie could not be more accurate than its title promises – anyone who has ever watched Zach Galifiankis’ beautifully awkward quasi-talk show and wanted a feature-length version of his trademark hostility towards celebrities will most certainly be thrilled with this film. Taking their cue from the many mockumentary films produced over the past few decades, Galifianakis and director Scott Aukerman take the show on the road, quite literally. A film made more for fans of the comedian and his beautifully awkward interview skills, it may initially be polarizing to those unfamiliar with the purpose of his fern-based talk show, but is not reliant on its niche appeal too much that it alienates newcomers, but rather takes the elements we love from the short-form show, and embiggens it to the point where it doesn’t lose the charm, but rather takes on a more cohesive set of qualities that make it inherently cinematic. In all honesty, Between Two Ferns: The Movie is just a ridiculous attempt to capitalize on something extremely stupid and massively successful, so it only makes sense that the two ways we can describe the film derived from those ideas are “extremely stupid” and massively successful”.

Framed through the lens of a student documentary called Behind the Ferns, we are introduced, as always, to our gloriously weird host, Galifianakis (playing a fictionalized version of himself), who has inadvertently become a cult icon through his unique style of interviewing celebrities, built out of his tendency towards attacking them in a variety of ways, and their refusal to give in to his hostile style. With his show suffering a major blunder, Galifianakis and his crew are forced to travel from North Carolina to California, where they are to deliver ten new interviews to their boss, Will Ferrell. The reward for completing the mission? Galifianakis will be able to get what he’s always wanted: a major late-night talk show, along the same lines as the shows he watched growing up. What follows are a series of misadventures through the American heartland, where our delightfully inefficient host enrages one celebrity after the other, leaving a trail of terror across the country as he burns through every celebrity he can find.

Between Two Ferns: The Movie really shouldn’t work – we’ve seen many other examples of popular comedy sketches being turned into feature-length films and failing dismally. This particular series, while very popular, never really lent itself to the idea of being capable of holding interest for more than a few minutes – it was almost supposed to be this way, designed to be a few minutes of complete hostility and tension, that resulted in pure, unadulterated awkwardness. It was a model that worked, and no one questioned it for over a decade. Somehow, Galifianakis and Aukerman managed to overcome the challenges that come with the transition from short-form comedy to something longer, and delivered a film that may not be particularly revolutionary, but is undoubtedly effective in being exactly what it set out to be. Some may align this film with fan-service, others may call it an attempt on behalf of the creators to take their cult show to a broader level, but what certainly can’t be denied is that somehow, it finds a way to work, and it remains as outrageous and hilarious as ever.

Zach Galifianakis’ ascent from niche comic to one of the most enduring comedic performers of his generation is something no one could have expected. Somehow over the course of the decade since his breakthrough in The Hangover, he’s found a way to remain popular without abandoning is very strange style. Never one to submit to the unspoken rules of stardom, he’s carved himself a niche as a comedian who utilizes his quirks in a way that never insists that he settle for what the industry dictated as being funny. His work has always been defined by his wonderful weirdness, and this is why he’s such an interesting figure – and for anyone who has wanted to see Galifianakis in his natural habitat, doing what he does best, will be thrilled with Between Two Ferns: The Movie, which relies solely on the comedian’s natural talents. For those who find him insufferable, this film won’t be the one that changes your mind – but if anything, it will show that not only is he a really funny comedian, but a gifted actor in his own right (as his occasional appearances in prestige films demonstrate). He is also a chameleon when it comes to his co-stars, and a lot of his charm comes in his ability to have chemistry with absolutely everyone, and considering this film trots out an impressive array of celebrities from across the entertainment industry, we knew we’d be in for a real treat when Galifianakis got his sardonic hands on them.

Ultimately, Between Two Ferns: The Movie is the kind of film that gives everything it promises, and not much else. This is the key to the success it finds: it takes a simple premise and doesn’t try and extend it much further than it actually should be allowed to go. Unlike the ill-fated sketches-turned-films that have failed in the past, Aukerman and Galifianakis don’t try and step too far away from qualities that may be simple but are what makes the original segments so good. Other than having a wider range of guests, and something of a storyline, Between Two Ferns: The Movie is essentially just a variety of interviews strung together with vignettes that see our protagonists on a mission to save their show. It doesn’t go too far, and it remains relatively straightforward, which was essential to making a film that paid tribute to the quaint roots of something that would become a massive phenomenon in a way that may have elevated it to a higher level, but without forgetting about the very elements that made them so enjoyable in the first place. Not particularly serious (and obviously deliriously funny, in the way only a film based on the most absurd of sketches can be), but with a great deal of heart and a lot of charm behind it, Between Two Ferns: The Movie is proof that a silly concept and a ton of tenacity can amount to something purely entertaining.