In order for "dark comedy" to work it cannot be mean spirited, and "Folks" has it's share of meanness for certain. It is pure and simple oftentimes painful to watch as poor Tom Selleck is subjected to an outrageous quantity of physical and mental abuse. The film is a very uneasy mix of slapstick, "black comedy", and stupidity. Fortunately, despite the constant shifting back and forth between comedy genres, "Folks" has enough uproarious moments that totally save the movie. It certainly is not in a class with films like "Eating Raoul", Fire Sale', or "War of the Roses", but it is worth seeing especially for those who appreciate the above mentioned movies. I would classify "Folks" as more of a near miss because of it's questionable use of what the writer must have considered "black comedy."
Review of Folks!
