‘Zero Effect’ Is a Charming, Quirky Neo-Noir Thriller With an A-List Cast [The Overlooked Motel]
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Today’s pick is an oddball noir detective thriller from the late ‘90s that sadly got lost in the shuffle during its theatrical bow. I’m talking about Jake Kasdan’s criminally underrated feature film directorial debut, Zero Effect. This under-seen thriller comedy is smartly written, features standout performances by a capable cast of familiar faces, and manages to be far more intelligent than it ever seems to get credit for being. The time to rediscover this outlandish offering is now, dear reader.
Zero Effect follows the world’s most private detective, the delightfully eccentric Daryl Zero (Bill Pullman). Daryl is an enigma, a man capable of solving the world’s great mysteries but completely incapable of taking care of his basic needs. Zero uses his faithful assistant, Steve Arlo (Ben Stiller), as a proxy. Arlo speaks on Zero’s behalf, braving the outside world at the behest of his eccentric employer. Together, the duo investigates a case involving blackmail and a closet full of proverbial skeletons. The narrative twists and turns, going to unexpected places and finishing with a surprise conclusion most will not see coming.
Bill Pullman steals the show in a winning turn as the eccentric lead character.
Pullman is the star of this show. His rendition of Daryl Zero is equal parts quirky, unorthodox, and hilarious. He’s a walking paradox, which is a recurring theme in Zero Effect. Zero’s extreme duality is cleverly conveyed in an opening montage where we see footage of Arlo confidently pitching his almighty employer to a potential client (played by the late Ryan O’Neal) juxtaposed alongside a conversation between Arlo and a friend where we see the harried assistant ranting about what an absolute nightmare Zero is to work for. Arlo is being truthful in both exchanges, it’s just two opposing sides of the same very dynamic coin.
It’s not possible to overstate how well-written the Daryl Zero character is. Writer/director Kasdan knocked it out of the park with his script. Zero is charming, quirky, and endearing. However, Pullman deserves an equal share of the credit for his portrayal. The beloved actor makes Zero accessible in spite of his numerous idiosyncrasies. He has plenty of them, by the way. Zero will only leave the house on assignment. He’s perfectly capable of functioning as a detective, but perfectly incapable of functioning on any kind of human level. When he’s not working, the gifted sleuth stays indoors for days on end, drinking cases of Tab brand diet soda and subsisting solely on canned goods and other pre-prepared foods.
Pullman really becomes the character, pulling the viewer into his world. He commits to the role without exception. In an early scene, Zero is dressed in rags, his hair greasy as can be, hunkered over a can of tuna, shoveling it into his mouth with a plastic fork. There’s no Pullman in that scene, it’s all Zero. Few actors can completely and convincingly disappear into a character, but Pullman is surely one of them.
Zero Effect deftly combines traits from two beloved characters born from literature.
Daryl Zero is a cross between two of my favorite literary characters, Sherlock Holmes and Irwin M. Fletcher (better known as Fletch). Both have been depicted on the silver screen several times, and Zero embodies pieces of both. He has the deductive reasoning capabilities of Holmes and a haphazard, self-deprecating charm that recalls author Gregory McDonald’s wisecracking investigative reporter, Fletch.
One of the many additional elements that make the Zero character stand out is the fact that he isn’t just quirky for the sake of our amusement. We eventually learn that Zero is quirky (in no small part) because he experienced profound trauma in his formative years, leaving him stuck in a perpetual state of arrested development. There’s a sequence between Zero and his eventual love interest where the investigator bears his soul and opens up about his horrifying past. It’s tough to watch because Pullman so deftly conveys the depths of the pain his character carries inside him. However, the frank discussion the two engage in regarding their respective deep-seated wounds elevates this noir thriller above many of its contemporaries.
Though it’s not explicitly spoken, it’s quite clear that Zero and his eventual romantic interest have their painful pasts to thank for their current lot in life. Each finds solace in the other, forming an unspoken trauma bond. We see a lot of trauma-informed writing in the 2020s, but this film from the late ‘90s dared to go there decades before it was commonplace. That makes Zero Effect a thought-provoking effort ahead of its time.
A quirky locale for a quirky character.
On a personal level, I also love that the film takes place in my home city, Portland, Oregon. Most of the film was actually shot on location here. There are tons of Portland landmarks, including the famous PDX carpet in the airport’s runway system. The setting is perfectly appropriate for the character because Portland is nothing if not a city known for its eccentricities.
Jake Kasdan’s direction here is confident and assured, like a filmmaker with far more experience. Though the picture’s box office returns were thwarted by the cultural phenomenon Titanic, Kasdan’s talent shone through, opening the door for a series of incredible opportunities thereafter. Since Zero Effect, the gifted filmmaker has helmed several comedic classics and multiple Jumanji movies.
The film’s cult status led to the production of an unsold TV pilot starring Alan Cumming as the titular character. As much as I like the idea of a Zero Effect series, I can’t quite get past the idea of another actor taking on the role. Bill Pullman will always be Daryl Zero to me.
Zero Effect isn’t streaming anywhere at present; however, you can still scope it as a digital rental or, better yet, grab a copy on DVD. The film has yet to receive the HD treatment on physical media. Hey, Columbia Pictures, how about a Blu-ray release for this underrated effort, hmmmm?
That’s all for this installment of The Overlooked Motel. If you would like to chat more about under-seen and underrated films, feel free to hit me up with your thoughts on Twitter, Threads, or Instagram.
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