Peel (2019 film)

Peel is a 2019 British comedy-drama film co-produced and directed by Rafael Monserrate and starred by Emile Hirsch. The movie was first shown on 7 February 2019 at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival.

Peel
Film poster
Directed by	Rafael Monserrate
Written by	Lee Karaim Troy Hall
Produced by	David Hillary Rafael Monserrate Jeffrey Thal
Starring	Emile Hirsch Jack Kesy Shiloh Fernandez Jacob Vargas Garrett Clayton
Cinematography	Michael Alden Lloyd
Edited by	Sharyn L. Ross
Music by	Kathryn Kluge Kim Allen Kluge
Production companies	Head Gear Films Living the Dream Films Metrol Technology
Distributed by	Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions
Release date	7 February 2019 (2019-02-07) (Santa Barbara International Film Festival)
Running time	101 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English

Plot

A simple and good-hearted character, Peel Munter, is left lost and alone at the age of 30, when his over-protective mother dies. He has to learn to fend for himself, befriending neighbors, getting housemates to pay the mortgage, and finally reuniting with his long-lost brothers in a gentle coming-of-age story.

Cast

• Emile Hirsch as Peel Munter
• Jack Kesy as Roy, Peel's first housemate
• Shiloh Fernandez as Sam, Peel's brother
• Jacob Vargas as Chuck, the 2nd housemate
• Garrett Clayton as Chad, the 3rd housemate
• Amy Brenneman as Lucille, Peel's mother
• Troy Hall as Will, Peel's older brother
• Yaya DaCosta as Sarah, Will's wife
• Angelina Joo as Chun Ja, Peel's friend
• Hana Hwang as Jooeun, Chun Ja's cousin

Reception

Noel Murray from the LA Times wrote: "The problem is that "Peel" is so persistently twee that when it tries to introduce heavier themes - involving the lasting damage family and friends thoughtlessly inflict on each other - the general sense of unreality gets in the way."^[1] Roger Moore from the website "Movie Nation" gave the movie only 1.5 stars out of 4, stating: "Hirsch is a gifted comic actor and could have made a lot more out of this unworldly guy who draws and snorkels obsessively and gets his hair cut about as often as Johnny Depp. And no, a few sweet moments in the final act don’t paper over the emptiness that precedes them. "Peel" is just as its title suggests, a movie that's all surface peel and no substance."^[2]