Unfrosted Movie Review

Review by Rob Hinkal

Unfrosted is by no means the worst film ever made. But it isn’t the best one either.

Legendary comedian and television star Jerry Seinfeld’s directorial debut is a strange, flamboyant, and, at times, quite humorous telling of the creation of the Pop-Tart. With a mind-boggling, all-star cast including the likes of Hugh Grant, Melissa McCarthy, Amy Schumer, Jim Gaffigan, Bill Burr, Peter Dinklage, and a cavalcade of other Hollywood legends, it is almost staggering that this film, in all of its weird, eccentric glory exists. If only its quality matched the sum of its parts, then it would be an even greater achievement. 

Sadly, where Unfrosted seems to crumble (get it? Like a Pop-Tart!) is in its reliance on a constant rhythm of humor and jokes. And mostly, Seinfeld swings for the fences. This is not a subtle film by any stretch of the imagination. The jokes and humor on display are the true stars of the show aside from Seinfeld who portrays our main character and narrator. And sadly, in many cases, you can feel the jokes, but not derive the humor from them. You can see the attempt and effort made, but oftentimes it falls flat or just feels much too, as a fellow viewer commented, “forced” upon the audience. Alternatively, when a character makes a quip or quick-witted aside, oftentimes these are the funniest parts of the film. The small jokes, the visual gags, and the humor hidden in the details are what draw the most laughs.  

Ultimately, the appeal of Unfrosted is mostly just knowing that Netflix spent millions of dollars to allow Jerry Seinfeld to direct a movie about Pop-Tarts. Knowing that the previous sentence is true and was not created by an AI generator just feels amazing. This feels like a film funded with little regard for its overall appeal to a general audience and more so as a passion product, which in itself is admirable. But when viewed as a member of said audience, it does not translate to the most enjoyable filmgoing experience. 

Is it going to win any Oscars? No. Is it a great film? Not really. Will it make you subliminally crave the sweet taste of Pop-Tarts? Possibly. 

Unfrosted is streaming now only on Netflix.