''The Machine'' is a 2023 American action comedy film directed by Peter Atencio, inspired by the 2016 stand-up routine of the same name created by Bert Kreischer. The film stars Kreischer as a fictionalized version of himself, with

Mark Hamill Mark Richard Hamill (; born September 25, 1951) is an American actor and writer. He is known for his role as Luke Skywalker in the ''Star Wars'' film series, beginning with the original 1977 film and subsequently winning three Saturn Awards f ...

, Jimmy Tatro, Iva Babić,

Stephanie Kurtzuba Stephanie Kurtzuba (born March 20, 1972) is an American film, television, and theater actress. She is best known for her roles in the films '' The Wolf of Wall Street'' (2013), ''Annie'' (2014), and ''The Irishman'' (2019), and on television in a ...

and Jessica Gabor. Following its

viral Viral means "relating to viruses" (small infectious agents). Viral may also refer to: Viral behavior, or virality Memetic behavior likened that of a virus, for example: * Viral marketing, the use of existing social networks to spread a marke ...

success, Legendary Entertainment acquired the rights to adapt Kreischer's stand-up routine into a feature film in September 2018. Most of the lead cast members were hired from April to June 2021. Filming began in Serbia in April 2021 through Balkanic Media. ''The Machine'' was released in the United States by

Screen Gems Screen Gems is an American brand name used by Sony Pictures' Sony Pictures Entertainment Motion Picture Group, a subsidiary of Japanese multinational conglomerate, Sony Group Corporation. It has served several different purposes for its parent ...

on May 26, 2023. It received mostly negative reviews from critics and became a box-office bomb.

Premise

In 1999, college freshman Bert Kreischer goes on a trip to Russia. During a night of hard partying, Bert befriends a tour guide named Igor along with his friends and is nicknamed "The Machine". Twenty-three years later, Bert is now a stand-up comedian and podcaster, having turned his story into a comedy special that goes viral on YouTube. Bert is in a tense relationship with his wife and elder daughter Sasha. While at a family cookout, Bert is unexpectedly reunited with his estranged father Albert. Bert is then confronted by Irina, a Russian mobster. It is soon revealed that Bert inadvertently stole an antique pocket watch belonging to Irina's father, an act which led to the start of his own organized crime syndicate. Seeking revenge, Irina kidnaps Bert, along with his father, with the intention of punishing Bert for his wrongdoings, upon arrival in Russia.

Cast

* Bert Kreischer as himself *

as Albert, Bert's father * Jimmy Tatro as young Bert Kreischer * Iva Babić as Irina, a mobster * Robert Maaser as Alexei, Irina's brother *

as LeeAnn *

Martyn Ford Martyn Ford (born 28 April 1944) is an English musician, best known for his orchestral contributions to rock music albums of the 1970s and 1980s. Born in Rugby, Warwickshire,Lebanon, Ford was originally classically trained; he studied French ...

as Sponge * Jessica Gabor as Sasha, Bert's eldest daughter * Rita Bernard Shaw as Ashley *

Nikola Đuričko Nikola Ðuričko ( sr-cyr, Никола Ђуричко; born 9 July 1974) is a Serbian actor. Active in film, television, and in theater, his first notable role was in 1989, in the film ''Poslednji krug u Monci''. In 1991, he played Djura in th ...

as Igor * Oleg Taktarov as Train Igor * Amelie Villiers as Tatiana, Bert's younger daughter * Marko Nedeljkovic as young Igor * Aleksandar Srećković as Fedor * Mercedes De La Cruz as a teacher

Production

In September 2019, Legendary Entertainment acquired the rights to develop comedian Bert Kreischer's stand-up routine into a feature film adaptation following its viral success. In April 2021, Peter Atencio was hired to direct and produce the film with Kreischer and Judi Marmel. Kevin Biegel and Scotty Landes wrote the film. Joseph Trapanese composed the film's original score. In April 2021, Kreischer was set to play himself and

was cast as Bert's father, Albert Kreischer Sr. Jess Gabor was cast as Bert's daughter. In May and June 2021,

, Mercedes De La Cruz and Jimmy Tatro were cast in the film. Principal photography took place in Serbia in April 2021.

Release

''The Machine'' was released in the United States by

on May 26, 2023. The film was released for digital platforms on June 20, 2023, followed by a Blu-ray and DVD release on August 15, 2023.

Box office

The film was a box-office bomb. In the United States and Canada, ''The Machine'' was released alongside '' The Little Mermaid'', '' Kandahar'', ''

About My Father ''About My Father'' is an upcoming American comedy film directed by Laura Terruso from a screenplay by Sebastian Maniscalco and Austen Earl. The film stars Maniscalco and is loosely based on his life and his relationship with his father, played ...

'', and '' You Hurt My Feelings''. The film was projected to gross around $5 million from 2,409 theaters over its four-day Memorial Day opening weekend. The film made $2.2 million on its first day, $5 million in the traditional weekend, and $5.9 million over the four-day frame. In its second weekend, the film declined 66% to $1.7 million, finishing in eighth place.

Critical response

Audiences surveyed by

CinemaScore CinemaScore is a market research firm based in Las Vegas. It surveys film audiences to rate their viewing experiences with letter grades, reports the results, and forecasts box office receipts based on the data. Background Ed Mintz founded Ci ...

gave the film a "B+" grade at the A+ to F scale, while PostTrak gave the film an overall 78% positive score, with 60% saying they would definitely recommend it.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Machine (2023 film), The American action comedy films Comedy films based on actual events 2020s English-language films Films about the Russian Mafia Films scored by Joseph Trapanese Films set in Russia Films shot in Serbia Legendary Pictures films Screen Gems films Films shot in Belgrade