Special (2005)

57% of critics liked it
(30 reviews)
62% of users liked it
(29,057 ratings)

An unremarkable parking-enforcement officer living a low-key existence of solitary lunches in the park, lonely dinners at home, and superhero comics that at least afford him the quiet release of fantasy enrolls into a clinical trial for antidepressant pills, only to find that it has some decidedly… More An unremarkable parking-enforcement officer living a low-key existence of solitary lunches in the park, lonely dinners at home, and superhero comics that at least afford him the quiet release of fantasy enrolls into a clinical trial for antidepressant pills, only to find that it has some decidedly unexpected side effects, in directors Hal Haberman and Jeremy Passmore's quirky comic-book superhero comedy. Les Franken (Michael Rappaport) leads an unassuming life that rarely deviates from a strict regiment of working, eating, sleeping, and comic book reading. His only two friends are a pair of stoners who own a local comic shop, so Les determines to shake things up a bit by volunteering as a test subject for an experimental drug designed to curb depression. When the drug appears to give Les special powers, the doctor in charge of the clinical controlled test insists that Les is simply experiencing an unanticipated psychological reaction to the medication. But Les is convinced that his powers are genuine, and as he ditches his work uniform in favor of more superhero-appropriate threads, he is about to find out once and for all whether he truly is able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, or his depression, combined with the strange side-effects of the drug, has somehow propelled his superhero fantasies to the forefront of his damaged psyche. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 22 min.
Directed By: Hal Haberman, Jeremy Passmore
Genres: Drama

In Theaters: Jan 30, 2006 Wide
On DVD: Mar 31, 2009
Studio: Magnet Releasing

Critic Reviews

Ben Lyons, At the Movies
I just thought it was a cool indie film with a great leading performance from an actor we don't usually get to see in a lead.
Ben Mankiewicz, At the Movies
The premise is intriguing, and the film is occasionally amusing, but it feels stuck between a completely satirical farce and an aching drama.
Lou Lumenick, New York Post
Rappaport does a yeoman's job in this tonally confused oddity.
Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News
It may not be perfect, but this under-the-radar indie from Hal Haberman and Jeremy Passmore is smart enough to leave you glad you found it.
Nathan Lee, New York Times
Ultimately it adds little to our understanding of the curious return of the superhero as our paradigmatic pop archetype.
Adam Markovitz, Entertainment Weekly
Thanks to Rapaport's brio in embracing the hero's drug-induced delusions, the movie is less a failure than a noble experiment gone awry.
Christian Toto, What Would Toto Watch?
Special offers a unique spin on the superhero template but rarely soars beyond its sly premise.
Cole Abaius, Film School Rejects
The quiet-yet-hip tone of the film reminded me a lot of Roger Dodger, another indie film that let's its script and acting do the talking.
S. Jhoanna Robledo, Common Sense Media
Eccentric, depressing thriller won't grab teens' attention.
Todd Gilchrist, IGN Movies
Special works as an honest portrait of little people with big dreams even if it remains itself a little movie without a big impact.
David Noh, Film Journal International
The sight of him, bloodied but eternally unbowed, in his ridiculous, homemade superhero costume may indeed be totally iconic for true pulp believers.
Keith Uhlich, House Next Door
Take[s] a page from the cartoonist Bill Watterson, who noted of the tiger protagonist in his great Calvin & Hobbes, 'The nature of [the character's] reality doesn't interest me, and each story goes out of its way to avoid resolving the issue.'
Amy Nicholson, I.E. Weekly
Shot for pennies -- a cash limitation that benefits the production's creativity and credibility -- this haunting film keeps shifting the ground under our feet
Jenna Busch, UGO
A beautiful metaphor for the desperate need to be important in a world where we rarely make personal connections any more, Special deserves to be seen.
Geoff Berkshire, Metromix.com
What begins as a mildly amusing indie lark descends into a depressingly unappealing exercise in mico-budget filmmaking.
Scott Tobias, AV Club
Its ambitions are limited -- though at 81 minutes, wisely proportioned -- but its heart is in the right place.
Eric Kohn, New York Press
A great genre film dissects authentic problems without attempting to supplant them. Reasonably enough, Special belongs to that category with the rest of Magnet's Six Shooter Series.
Mark Holcomb, Time Out New York
Special is an inexplicable downer that favors pathos over satire.

Read all 18 critic reviews

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

Randy T

A nerdy, social misfit volunteers for an experimental medical study of a new drug and discovers that the pills give him super powers. Back in high school I knew this guy who was kinda tall, had curly red hair, freckles, and was a total prick. Michael Rapaport looks a lot like that… More
A nerdy, social misfit volunteers for an experimental medical study of a new drug and discovers that the pills give him super powers. Back in high school I knew this guy who was kinda tall, had curly red hair, freckles, and was a total prick. Michael Rapaport looks a lot like that guy. Now, that's not Michael Rapaport's fault, but every time I see him, in my mind, I see that other ass-hole. Why, you ask, am I telling you this? Because for me to say that Michael Rapaport is good in anything he has to be really (REALLY) good. In this film, he's good.
Daniel H

A churning, dark drama that inexplicably bills itself as satirical or humorous. The concept: to play out dark psychological drama against a paper-thin backdrop of comic-book heroism is jarring to say the least... especially when the self-importance of such a backdrop is continually… More
A churning, dark drama that inexplicably bills itself as satirical or humorous. The concept: to play out dark psychological drama against a paper-thin backdrop of comic-book heroism is jarring to say the least... especially when the self-importance of such a backdrop is continually torn and punctured by the presence of the reality underneath it all. This isn't a film about a superhero dealing with being human, or a human trying to be a superhero. In the end, its an average human dealing with being human and getting very messed up in the process. Sadly, the plot is riddled with holes, and a small array of cinematic stylizations that eventually wear a bit thin. It takes a bit of effort to see past the low-budgeted hurdles... but such effort is rewarded with a glimpse of the inspired acting by Rapaport (the film beautifully abuses his nice-guy persona) as well as the simple yet grittily accented story underneath it all. A unique presentation of a depressing concept, which falters more often than it flies. Yet unlike other films, whose failures confuse or anger, one can clearly see (and enjoy) the film that lies beneath the blemishes. That achievement alone is something to be celebrated, and is the essence of independent film-making.
A.D. V

A satifsfyingly quirky comedy/drama with a standout performance from the underused Michael Rapaport. Worth it if you're looking for something a little different and unique.
Steve K

Fun, small independent film with a terrific performance by Rapaport as a medical test subject who experiences some interesting side effects. A small gem, worth seeing.
Jason S

It was ok. While Rapaport was good in the flick I think a lot of the weakness comes from the script. I'm not sure it really knew what to do with itself after introducing the main object of the plot. A man who signs up for a drug test starts to imagine that he has super powers.… More
It was ok. While Rapaport was good in the flick I think a lot of the weakness comes from the script. I'm not sure it really knew what to do with itself after introducing the main object of the plot. A man who signs up for a drug test starts to imagine that he has super powers. What should we do with the story after that? I dunno. The writer seems to think that the best thing to do was to let it wind down until the credits rolled. At the end of the movie I was only thinking one thing. What was the point of it all?
Nicki M

Idiotic, but more watchable than it should have been. Alexandra Holden was a highlight - now there's an actress that is capable of much better than this.
Aaron N

Les: And these really work? Dr. Dobson: Our results have been remarkably promising. Michael Rapaport, best known as an actor with a familiar face and a Brooklyn accent or as Dick Ritchie in True Romance, stars as a lonely man who has a reaction to some experimental pills. He starts… More
Les: And these really work? Dr. Dobson: Our results have been remarkably promising. Michael Rapaport, best known as an actor with a familiar face and a Brooklyn accent or as Dick Ritchie in True Romance, stars as a lonely man who has a reaction to some experimental pills. He starts to believe he has superheroes. The movie starts with Rapaport as Les, a man who works as a meter maid. He has only a few friends and is generally shy. We find Les at a drug testing facility where he is given a drug called special. Soon Les begins to believe he can fly. Shortly after this he believes he has other power as well, including walking through walls and telepathy. We the audience, as well as everyone else knows that Les is in fact having a psychotic reaction to the drugs. More problems arise when the creators of the drug try to get a hold of Les, who has taken it upon himself to try and fight crime. Les: You can't make me stop. Rapaport is great in this role. He is rarely given a lead role, but here he is absolutely solid. This movie may have moments of comedy, but Rapaport and the movie as a whole is dark, sad, but oddly touching as well. The film's gritty, independent feel combined with a few visual tricks to convey the split perspectives of Les' "powers" between him and his onlookers only adds to the effectiveness of the film. The grungy soundtrack is effective as well. At 80 minutes, the film is a bit simplistic, leaves a few points underused, and didn't leave me completely satisfied by its conclusion, however the final expression on Rapaport's face in this film was fairly powerful. A nice film under the radar. Les: The truth is, with so many billions and billions of people on the planet, most of us can't be unique or important in any meaningful way.
Curtis L

It's times like this that I'm reminded why i love movies so much. Michael Rapaport is my hero. He just makes such a big lovable guy that bad things seem to happen to, but he's too oblivious to notice. The concept for this film is the real gem, and you're… More
It's times like this that I'm reminded why i love movies so much. Michael Rapaport is my hero. He just makes such a big lovable guy that bad things seem to happen to, but he's too oblivious to notice. The concept for this film is the real gem, and you're gauranteed to laugh a few times...and you'll probably be pretty depressed at the end. Good stuff.
Christopher H

With the serious, "dedicated" performance from Michael Rapaport, Special would just be another low budget, independent film. But with that performance comes a truthfulness that carries the off-the-wall concept to a level of seriousness that is then taken seriously. With the… More
With the serious, "dedicated" performance from Michael Rapaport, Special would just be another low budget, independent film. But with that performance comes a truthfulness that carries the off-the-wall concept to a level of seriousness that is then taken seriously. With the craze of average people becoming superheroes (Kick Ass, Super, Bad Ass), Special is a nice change of pace, looking more at the human psyche rather than the bravado and action that comes with fighting crime.
Kyle S

Saw this about a year ago and never got around to rating it, check it out, really great comedy that has it's touching moments aswell.
Aurelius D

"The truth is, with so many billions and billions of people on the planet, most of us can't be unique or important in any meaningful way." -- Something I have thought to myself far too many times over the years and this movie says oh so well. I am not even sure… More
"The truth is, with so many billions and billions of people on the planet, most of us can't be unique or important in any meaningful way." -- Something I have thought to myself far too many times over the years and this movie says oh so well. I am not even sure exactly how I came upon this movie, I think it's because I'm a Michael Rapaport fan. It's interesting to me because he plays a normal guy who decides to try an experimental anti depressant. He's a meter maid, and I know how they get made fun of in other films, but the way his character is so down to earth and just so genuine it's like you feel for him. I guess I sympathize with him because of the way he feels sometimes, he talks about how he read a story about a demon that ate the spirit off a person in their sleep for 16 years. Since it was spread out like that they never really knew what was missing, they just felt like they were missing something. So he's the typical every man that enjoys comics and has a pretty lonely and uneventful life. But it seems that once he starts taking these pills next thing you know he's flying...only he's not. It's like...you think he is, but at the same time you doubt it. It's interesting because I mean you see him show it off to his stoner friends and you wonder are they just high or is it real. It's quite the trip. "Special" is a rather amusing title because I can imagine someone walking up to me telling me they think they have super powers. I'd think they are "special" too. It's funny watching him come to terms with his powers and trying to think about how to "be" a hero which all boils down to his costume. The sincerity to his belief that he's "special" doesn't really feel fart fetched or cliche. The fact that he goes out in public driving around in like a Geo looking for crime or stalking customers in and outside of stores he looks more like a pervert than a superhero. It's kind of funny watching him trying to prove his "powers" to people. Paul Blackthorne has a part in this movie as the head of this pharmaceutical company. I enjoyed his work in Dresden Files and 24, he plays a bad guy quite well. I guess he is suppose to be his "arch nemesis". There are some serious moments that have some serious shock value. The movie will be following a nice calm pace and next thing you know BAM out of left field something happens that totally takes you off guard. Paul's character is definitely someone you don't have any problem not liking in this film. The battle Good VS Evil isn't exactly like it's commonly portrayed, it's a bit more grounded. The movie is touching and and rather unique. If you want something you haven't seen before and just want to see something inventive yet touching from an actor that often gets underrated and under played this is definitely something that should be checked out.
Marion R

It's good and it accomplished what it set out to do. I wish I would have felt more emotionally involved.
alan j

Highly original in concept, this movie works more as a comedy than a human interest story. The first half is funny and works well, but the second half slows down and becomes more serious in nature and becomes a bit of a drag. It is almost as if the creators of the movie didn't… More
Highly original in concept, this movie works more as a comedy than a human interest story. The first half is funny and works well, but the second half slows down and becomes more serious in nature and becomes a bit of a drag. It is almost as if the creators of the movie didn't know what direction to take the story, and ultimately ends with a thud. Great idea, but mediocre execution toward the end. To me, alot of potential but a missed opportunity.
Christopher B

One of the saddest things I've ever seen, and yet advertised as a comedy about an average joe who has a bad reaction to medication and believes he is a superhero. Rappaport gives the performance of his career in this sad, downbeat and great film.