Best Sellers (2021)

Best Sellers is the kind of comedy-drama that sneaks up on you: a sharp, lightly scruffy road-trip of a book tour that becomes a surprisingly tender duet between two people who don’t know how to ask for help. Michael Caine turns crankiness into an art form—funny, bruised, and oddly magnetic—while Aubrey Plaza plays the young publisher with enough bite and vulnerability to make their push-pull chemistry feel earned rather than cute. Director Lina Roessler keeps the vibe brisk and visually polished, letting the humor land without smothering the story’s quieter notes about pride, legacy, and second chances. It’s not for everyone—there’s plenty of strong language and the character humor can be deliberately abrasive—but if you enjoy character-driven films where warmth is hard-won, this one is a rewarding sit.

Best Sellers wants to be a warm, odd-couple road movie about a cynical old genius and a frazzled young publisher finding mutual respect on a messy book tour. The problem is it leans hard on familiar beats and predictable turns, with a screenplay that often feels thinner than the big emotions it’s reaching for, and tonal shifts that can swing from heartfelt to sitcom-chaotic without much finesse. Michael Caine and Aubrey Plaza do what they can—there are flashes of charm and a few genuinely funny, prickly moments—but the film rarely finds the sharper bite or deeper insight its premise promises. If you’re in the mood for a gentle, star-driven dramedy and can tolerate heavy profanity and some broad “cranky genius” antics, you’ll be fine; if you want tight writing, fresh surprises, or a more coherent emotional arc, this may waste your evening.