Film Festival on January 24, and was then released on Netflix on January 26, 2018. Reception On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of , based on reviews, with an average rating of . The site's consensus reads, "A Futile and Stupid Gesture entertainingly recreates the birth of an influential comedic movement, even if it struggles to cover its creative ground." On Metacritic, the film has a score of 55 out of 100, based on 15 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Writing for TheWrap, Todd Gilchrist opined, "Even if the casting choices in portraying some of iconic talents in Kenney's orbit are occasionally questionable a detail the film gleefully acknowledges there's something delightful about watching actors known for comedy now try to capture the sound or energy of the performers who inspired them." Ellin Stein of Slate stated, "There's a sense that the filmmakers have bitten off more than they can chew by trying to cram both the biography and the panoramic overview into one feature." References External links 2010s biographical films 2018 comedy-drama films National Lampoon (franchise) American comedy-drama films American biographical films English-language Netflix original films Films directed by David Wain Films based on non-fiction books 2018 independent films 2010s English-language films 2010s American films Films shot in Los Angeles