That Guy explores the day to day experiences of…you know, that guy. That lazy, gross, deluded, fratacular, aging bro whose sole purpose in life seems to be annoying the crap out of you. Everyone has at least one in their life (or from time to time is that guy), and that relatability is exactly what That Guy hopes will keep viewers hooked.
The series aims to illicit knowing laughs from viewers who have encountered individuals with an uncool factor that’s only trumped by their inability to pick up on social cues. The results are a mixed bag.
Kent Haines, literally That Guy, certainly plays annoying very well. But after watching just a few of the ten short clips that comprise the series, you wonder if he plays it a little too well. At some point in the season, his antics cease to be entertaining and step into the realm of irritating.
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By the time he is dousing himself and his roommate in a cloud of Axe body spray in the ninth episode or arm wrestling with his girlfriend’s father in the tenth’s homage to Meet the Parents, I no longer want to laugh at him. I want to slap him (but maybe his complete transition into that guy is part of the point?).
The middle episodes are more successful. Episode three has That Guy trying his best to win at a game of charades and episode six shows him failing to impress the ladies at the gym. The best moments are Haines’ throwaway jokes like when he screams “There is no Jaws 6, Allison!” after incorrectly guessing Jaws 1-5 during the charades game or trying to pick up chicks by rocking out to Sixpence None the Richer on his old school Walkman while lifting weights.
The series is featured on Crackle, Sony Pictures’ online video network (Aside: Crackle is difficult to navigate), and produced by Haines along with Matt Vascellaro. Overall, Haines contributes an energetic, on-point performance, but his efforts cannot make up for the fact the they series’ central character is exasperating and uncomfortably clueless (but again, maybe that’s the point?).
Whenever I encounter that guy in my life, I have little to no patience for his ridiculous-ness, and that is exactly how I feel about Haines and his web series.
Check out That Guy on Crackle.com.
