The sons of longtime “Saturday Night Live” writers, Martin Herlihy, John Higgins, and Ben Marshall have joined the sketch institution to produce digital shorts in 2021. The group, known as Please Don’t Destroy, has been described as natural successors to The Lonely Island, but with a preference for banal absurdism over pitch-perfect parody.
Their debut feature film, “Please Don’t Destroy: The Treasure of Foggy Mountain,” takes the three decamped to small-town North Carolina, showcasing their doofus characters far outside the realm of showbiz, while remaining suspended in a state of arrested adolescence.
While the trio’s talent is evident, the film struggles with consistency, caught between inspired silliness and repetitive jokes. As the three plot their respective courses into the future, a rift develops as two prepare to tiptoe into adulthood and leave the third behind.
Despite its struggles, the film does showcase the chemistry between the three collaborators, honed since their college years. However, the overall air of the unseasoned is evident throughout the film.
The film plays on the power of friendship but borders on idle self-amusement, leaving viewers to ponder the difference between innate funniness and the skills required to craft a film. “Please Don’t Destroy: The Treasure of Foggy Mountain” was produced by Judd Apatow, aligning it with the 21st century’s big studio comedies that fit themselves into the groove of old chums trying to crack each other up.