Release date: June 12
Cast: Pete Davidson, Marisa Tomei, Bill Burr, Bel Powley, Maude Apatow, Steve Buscemi, Pamela Adlon, Jimmy Tatro, Ricky Velez
Director: Judd Apatow
Run-time: 2h 16 min
Age rating: R
Rotten Tomatoes: 75%
Pete Davidson is king of the world ... uh, more like The King of Staten Island. The Saturday Night Live comedian is starring in Judd Apatow's new movie, which is loosely based on Davidson's own life and is streaming right now.
Apatow returns to direct his first scripted feature film since 2015's Trainwreck. Since then, he's had a hand in a ton of other movies and TV shows as a producer, which has made him feel like a constant presence in Hollywood (even if he really isn't). Davidson, meanwhile, has been a constant presence on gossip websites, thanks to high-profile relationships with Ariana Grande, Kate Beckinsale and Margaret Qualley.
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The King of Staten Island, much like Apatow's other movies, focuses on a case of arrested development — this time, personified by Davidson's slacker Scott. Just like Davidson in real life, Scott lost his firefighter dad at a young age. Also like Davidson, the grown-up Scott still lives with his mom (Marisa Tomei), smokes a lot of pot and hangs out with his friends all day. Then, his mom starts dating an outspoken firefighter (Bill Burr), which forces Scott to face his grief and the reality of moving forward with his life as an adult.
The King of Staten Island is making a rare digital-first premiere, due to theater closures during the coronavirus pandemic. It was initially set to have its world premiere at South by Southwest in March. When that festival was canceled, it rescheduled to premiere in April at the Tribeca Film Festival, which was also canceled.
Here's everything you need to know about how to watch The King of Staten Island online right now.
How to watch The King of Staten Island with a VPN
So, as I said above, some folks stuck abroad — away from countries where The King of Staten Island is available on premium video on demand or their platform of choice — will likely be running into geo-fenced restrictions on what services they can use. But, with the help of a virtual private network (VPN), they can watch The King of Staten Island (and all the other services from their home country) no matter where they are.
Our favorite VPN is ExpressVPN, which is easy to use and delivers fast internet speeds, making it simple to set up for streaming in no time at all. It also works on practically any device, starting with iOS and Android and including streaming devices such as the Amazon Fire TV Stick and Apple TV. Plus, game consoles like PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
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Our favorite VPN service, ExpressVPN, is a top choice for those looking to watch The King of Staten Island. It's got a solid mix of safety, speed and ease-of-use. Plus, you get an extra 3 months free if you sign up for a year. If you've never used a VPN before and are curious and not sure, there's a 30-day money-back guarantee if you just want to give it a try.
How do I watch The King of Staten Island in the US?
The King of Staten Island is available to stream right now as a premium video on demand rental for $19.99 and on HBO Max.
Pre-order The King of Staten Island on Fandango Now for $19.99 on SD, HD or 4K Ultra HD. Starting June 12, you'll have 30 days to start watching. Once you begin, you have 48 hours to watch.
Amazon Prime Video is one of the top streaming services, combining both a digital marketplace with a huge subscriber-only library of movies, TV shows and originals. They're renting The King of Staten for a dollar off at $18.99, so don't miss this great deal.
Plus, most other digital marketplaces including:
How can I watch The King of Staten Island in the UK
Folks in the UK can rent The King of Staten Island on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play and other sites.
Is The King of Staten Island on Netflix?
No, The King of Staten Island movie is only available as a premium video on demand (VOD) rental. That has essentially replaced its theatrical release.
Once its "theatrical window" is closed, however, it's still not likely to ever join Netflix's library since it's a Universal film. The studio is owned by Comcast, so its movies are most likely to go to the Peacock streaming service. That's where The King of Staten Island will probably stream later this year.
Kelly is the streaming channel editor for Tom’s Guide, so basically, she watches TV for a living. Previously, she was a freelance entertainment writer for Yahoo, Vulture, TV Guide and other outlets. When she’s not watching TV and movies for work, she’s watching them for fun, seeing live music, writing songs, knitting and gardening.