I was an outlier in that I was not immediately taken with Napoleon Dynamite. As a story-first person, the complete lack of any kind of narrative in that movie left me baffled. That being the case, I was a little bit tentative about watching Tapawingo, from director Dylan K. Narang and starring Jon Heder, now available on VOD. Despite my hesitance, this movie is an off-beat, hilarious, silly story that is bright and incredibly watchable.
Nate Skoog (Jon Heder) is a middle-aged man, living with his mom and working a dead-end job in a mailroom. One day, his boss asks him to act as chauffeur to his son, Oswalt (Sawyer Williams). Nate agrees, but as he is driving Oswalt around, he discovers that this is the same kid he and his best friend, Will (Jay Pichardo), had saved from a group of bullies not long ago. Oswalt is mixed up with the Tarwater family, including Stoney (Billy Zane). Oswalt hires Nate and Will ($35/hour for 1 hour a day) to be his bodyguards. But things become complicated when Nate has to balance his mercenary obligations with his romantic interest in Gretchen (Kim Matula).
When I watched Tapawingo, my first thought was, “Oh, this is like if Napoleon Dynamite had a plot.” Granted, this is a very silly story, but there is a narrative thread in this movie, which made it easier for someone like me who has a tough time with movies that are just a vibe. This doesn’t remove the absurdity of the film at all, but instead gives it some level of structure to hang on to.
The cast for this is really wonderful and does an excellent job creating a world for these characters to live in. Legends Amanda Bearse and John Ratzenberger play Nate’s mom and her boyfriend, helping to ground the film with a little bit of heart and realism. Gina Gershon has a hilarious role as one of Nate’s co-workers, playing a genuinely funny character for a change. All of the Tarwaters are fantastic as overwrought adult bullies, terrorizing a kid for a minimal amount of money. But the film lives and dies on the commitment of Heder and Pichardo as the best friends turned bodyguards, and they are phenomenal. The two play off one another brilliantly, making the whole film fun to watch.
Tapawingo is also a bright, colorful movie to watch. These aren’t flat, desaturated shots, but rather vibrant, beautiful shots of this small town. Even though the film does show how living in the same place can lead to some level of arrested development, the town itself is not depicted in a negative light.
Not only is the town itself not depicted negatively, but neither are the people. For the most part, everyone in Tapawingo is very self-assured. They may not be “cool,” but they are absolutely confident. And that kind of surety allows the viewer to laugh, but also, perhaps, to see that they can believe in themselves as well.
Rating: 3.5/5
Check out my interview with Jon Heder about Tapawingo!
This review originally appeared in The Dominion Post on December 19, 2025.
Oooh, as one of those people who absolutely adored "Napoleon Dynamite," this sounds amazing!