R | 1h 32m | Comedy, Satire, Parody, Mockumentary | 2026
Although it’s been around since the late 1960s, the “mockumentary” (fake documentary) genre didn’t fully kick into gear until 1984 with the Christopher Guest-penned “This Is Spinal Tap.”
Guest would write and direct five more of these movies (“Waiting for Guffman,” “Best in Show,” “A Mighty Wind,” “For Your Consideration,” and “Mascots”) with increasingly diminishing returns.
The success or failure of a mockumentary is contingent on the choice of subject matter. The not-so-secret for this is in picking something that is normally taken seriously. For Guest, it was rock and roll, amateur theater, dog shows, folk music, movie awards season, and sports mascots.
In “The Napa Boys,” director Nick Corirossi takes square aim at wine snobs and blockbuster movie franchises. These targets don’t seem to have much common ground, but Corirossi and his co-writer Armen Weitzman mostly make it work. When the jokes miss, it’s easy to overlook because something that will hit is just around the corner.
IH8MRLT
The opening shot is brilliant. A panoramic view of a parched and barren, off-season vineyard is accompanied by sad, low-key orchestration. The only movement is the distant sound of a jeep driving through it with the words “wine wagon” written on its side. On its roof is what looks like an oversized 3D replica of something resembling the “Fruit of the Loom” logo. The vehicle’s license plate reads “IH8MRLT” (I hate merlot), the first of many references to the 2004 wine snob comedy, “Sideways.”
The credits start with the movie-within-a-movie title card: “The Napa Boys 4: The Sommelier’s Amulet.” This covers a lot of ground. It indicates this is the fourth entry in a non-existent film franchise.
“Sommelier” is a French word with an extra snooty connotation for “wine expert.” When shortened (“Somm”), it’s the name of a 2012 wine documentary. “Amulet” is the stand-in for the ring in “The Lord of the Rings” (LOTR).
Fan Boy Cosplay
The driver of the jeep is Jack Jr. (Corirossi, think a cross between younger versions of Bradley Whitford and Tim Daly), who is headed to a Napa Boys graphic novel fan convention. It is being held in a low-capacity, generically drab “Holiday Inn” style meeting room, paneled by creator Miles Jr. (Weitzman). The two-dozen or so attendees are donned in fan boy LOTR or “Star (“Trek”/“Wars”) cosplay garb, some or all of them likely living in their mom’s basements.
LOTR is referenced again in a huge tongue-in-cheek manner. One female supporting cast member states how miraculous it is that she, a woman, is also a LOTR devotee. This insinuates that LOTR appeals only to the previously mentioned male basement dwellers.
The lone exception is Puck (Sarah Ramos, “The Bear”), a self-identified “journalist” who fancies herself a devotee of (Bob) Woodward and (Carl) Bernstein. Puck wants to both become a Napa Boy and chronicle their next adventure. She is resourceful enough to stow herself away in the wine wagon in order to do so.
The final member of the initial quartet is Jamar Malachi Neighbors as attorney “Stifler’s Brother,” a reference to the “American Pie” franchise. The sextet is fully formed with the arrivals of Kevin (Nelson Franklin) and vintner Mitch (Mike Mitchell).
With Jack Jr. taking point, the Wine Wagon hits the road in earnest, heading for the annual Great Grape Festival, an aside to the 2008 “Bottle Shock.” Both movies are overstuffed with hoity-toity, pipe smoking, loafer wearing, and yuppie types. “Bottle Shock” depicted the 1976 “Judgment of Paris” wine competition.
Jay & Silent Bob
As road flicks often do, there are some pit stops along the way. “The Napa Boys” takes a few and they don’t always work as desired. One that does pan out in spades features Jason Mewes (as Jay) and Kevin Smith (as Silent Bob) reprising their respective roles from the “Clerks” franchise.
Fans of the lounge lizard comedy “Swingers” will immediately recognize Jack Jr. telling another character “You are so money,” that film’s oft-repeated compliment.
The score music was sourced and licensed from older films by the De Wolfe company. Many kudos to musical supervisor Kim Huffman Cary for the instrumental selections and the inclusion of some truly obscure pop chestnuts.
There’s “The Girls of Rock N Roll” by Alvin and the Chipmunks, Gerry Rafferty’s “Family Tree,” and Harry Nilsson’s 1970 cover of the Randy Newman song “Caroline.”
Is “The Napa Boys” derivative? Yes. Is it sophomoric? Yep—and proudly so. It’s also totally lacking in pretense and doesn’t take itself very seriously. It’s a guy movie destined for cult immortality and is unafraid of being politically incorrect.
The film will be released in New York City on March 6 with additional cities to follow.
‘The Napa Boys’
Director: Nick Corirossi
Stars: Sarah Ramos, Armen Weitzman, Jamar Malachi Neighbors, Nick Corirossi
Running Time: 1 hour, 32 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Release Date: Feb. 27, 2026
Rating: 3 1/2 stars out of 5
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