Nick Kocher Discusses How RAs Can Refresh College Buddy Comedies at SXSW
Pizza Movie: A College Odyssey
Directors: Brian McElhaney and Nick Kocher
Distributor: Hulu
Premiered: March 13, 2026
A unique comedy feature set to premiere on Hulu, "Pizza Movie," follows a group of college students as they embark on a seemingly simple mission to retrieve a pizza from their dorm lobby. However, their complicated journey down two flights of stairs is amplified by the fact that the friends are under the influence of a homemade drug, transforming the outing into a surreal adventure.
Directors Brian McElhaney and Nick Kocher aim to explore the absurdity of campus life through this narrative. "The RAs are a full Nazi metaphor," Kocher explained. He noted that the film’s initial concept involved young adults in an apartment building, but the idea struggled to take shape until they shifted the setting to a college environment. "The big breakthrough was when we realized, ‘Oh, what if we set this in college? And it’s all in a college dorm, and one of the big things that happened there was ‘Oh, there’s a natural antagonist, which is the RAs.’ We always love writing villains. I love villains that just chew up the scenery and have way too long monologues and really enjoy being villains."
With a cast that includes Sean Giambrone, Gaten Matarazzo, and Lulu Wilson, "Pizza Movie" promises to offer a fresh and humorous perspective on the college experience. As audiences dive into this transformative quest, the film poses engaging questions about camaraderie, obstacles, and the nature of villainy in everyday life.
