In basketball we have what’s called a “heat check.” The premise is simple: A player gets “hot,” swishing every basket he shoots, and momentarily appears unstoppable. The confidence becomes contagious and said player actually believes he can’t miss. To test his own surging momentum, the player will fire any shot from anywhere on the court. Usually this involves a “bad shot,” like being guarded by three defenders, or launching a shot just after passing the half court line. This is the “heat check” moment — if he makes the shot, the player truly is an unstoppable superhero like Superman, but if he misses, he returns to Earth as a mortal, the miss representing a suggestion to stay in his lane.
Ryan Reynolds is having a heat check moment. Following his career reinvention as Deadpool, and the commercial success of Reynolds projects like Life and Hitman’s Bodyguard, you’d be forgiven for thinking the actor can’t miss. Reynolds is in that rare moment in a movie career where an artist can make any content they want and someone will give them the money necessary to do so.
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So what’s Reynolds doing? An inspired revival of Home Alone, one of the most successful comedies ever, but instead of the adorably sadistic Macauley Caulkin stopping the would-be robbers, defending the home will be…a paranoid stoner. The R-rated movie, no joke, is called Stoned Alone.
Here’s the description from Deadline:
Stoned Alone is reminiscent of that hallowed comedy classic. It centers around a twenty-something weed growing loser who misses the plane for his holiday ski trip. He makes the best of things by getting high. Paranoia sets in and he believes he hears someone break into his house. Turns out thieves have broken in. Fully stoned and fueled by paranoia, he tries to thwart the thieves and defend his castle.
While Reynolds remains renowned for his boyish looks and antics, he doesn’t appear to be starring in Stoned Alone. Instead, Reynolds will produce the film through his production banner at Fox. Directing will be Augustine Frizzell, whose debut film Never Goin’ Back will premiere later this year.
