David Wenham (Fake, Seachange) and Jonathon Teplitzky (Churchill, The Railway Man) reunite to deliver a Spitieri-centric Aussie crime comedy. Following on from 2003’s Gettin’ Square, Spit delivers a sometimes lighthearted but often heavy spirited Queensland underbelly romp. In short, catch it now. It’s a great time.
Everyone knows a Johnny Spitieri. Mullet sporting, skinny jeans, street wise dropout who lives hour to hour with a heart of gold. Johnny Spit is happy to lend anyone a hand, he just screws everything up. If Johnny Spit was thirty-odd years younger, he’d be written off as an eshay at first glance. Unlucky for this old boy though, he’s rumbled re-entering Australia on a fake passport and his continued misadventure begins.
Supporting the chaos that ensues are returning characters Chika (Gary Sweet), Arne (David Field), Marion (Helen Thomson) and Niall Toole (David Roberts). Newcomers (mostly asylum seekers joining Spit in immigration detention) include Jihad (Arlo Green), Hayyan (Sami Afuni), Baktash (Ayik Chut) and lawyer Aria Sahni (Pallavi Sharda).
A lot of the comedy comes from Johnny and Jihad navigating the sardonic characters and unfair situations unwillingly thrust on them. The guys rise to the occasion supporting each other, hammering home the frequent message that it’s about mateship and anything else is “unorstrayan”. Leaning in to standard gags about multicultural diversity, drug use, ailing health, bank robbery and tax evasion. But it works so well.
The pacing of the film is a little manic, pausing only for light exposition for anybody not familiar with events of Gettin’ Square. Laying the groundwork for another hilarious courtroom skit. Despite the odds, every dog gets his day.
Written by Chris Nyst, there’s some clear social messages woven into the script. But Nyst cleverly avoids being preachy about these topics. This, coupled with Wenham’s frequent improv and Teplitzky’s eye for visual comedy, has the audience nodding in approval of some biting social criticism. One can’t help but to be on Johnny Spit’s side of the argument.
Spit landed in Aussie theaters today, 6th March 2025. The film is a clear 8/10 modern crime, comedy drama that delivers something for everyone. As long as you’re not into conservative politics and are okay with frequent bad language. Because in Spit, the good hearted, no hope crim and the queue jumping refugees seize the day.
