Operation Taco Gary’s has all the ingredients of a modern cult comedy on paper: an absurd premise, a self-aware tone, and a cast filled with performers who understand how to toe the line between satire and sincerity. With Simon Rex (Red Rocket) leading the charge and Jason Biggs (Untitled Home Invasion Romance) playing an exaggerated version of himself, the film initially feels like it’s about to deliver a chaotic, irreverent ride through conspiracy culture and celebrity self-parody.
Simon Rex as Danny in the comedy, OPERATION TACO GARY’S, a Chroma release. Photo courtesy of Chroma.
The first act, in particular, is surprisingly charming. It establishes a playful tone, poking fun at the absurdity of internet conspiracy theories while allowing its cast to lean into the ridiculousness with confidence. There’s a looseness to the early scenes that works in the film’s favor, giving the audience room to settle into its strange comedic universe.
Unfortunately, once the film moves beyond its promising setup, it begins to unravel. The narrative quickly loses focus, trading its sharp early satire for increasingly random and disconnected gags.
L-R: Jason Biggs as Jason Biggs and Arturo Castro as Tiago in the comedy OPERATION TACO GARY’S, a Chroma release. Photo courtesy of Chroma.
It becomes clear that the film wants to exist in the same offbeat comedic space as John Dies at the End (2012) and the gleefully juvenile Scary Movie franchise, but it never fully commits to the cleverness or anarchic energy that made those films memorable. Instead, the humor feels forced, as if the film is trying too hard to be weird without understanding why weirdness worked in those earlier projects.
What should feel spontaneous and inventive instead comes across as sloppy and unfocused.
The pacing is perhaps the film’s most glaring flaw. Despite its relatively brief 90-minute runtime, Operation Taco Gary’s somehow feels significantly longer. Scenes drag on well past the point where their comedic payoff should land, and the editing fails to create the tight rhythm that comedy relies on. Timing is everything in humor, and here the timing is consistently off.
Jokes linger too long, punchlines arrive too late, and moments that should feel snappy instead feel bloated. The result is a film that feels padded, as though it’s stretching thin material beyond its natural limits.
One of the film’s strongest elements is its cast, particularly Brenda Strong (Zootopia 2), who delivers the most committed performance in the movie. She approaches the material with a level of sincerity that almost elevates it, grounding the absurdity in something resembling emotional truth. Strong understands the tone the film should be aiming for, balancing the ridiculous with genuine conviction. Her performance provides glimpses of the better version of this film that could have existed with stronger direction and a tighter script.
L-R: Brenda Song as Allison and Dustin Milligan as Luke in the comedy, OPERATION TACO GARY’S, a Chroma release. Photo courtesy of Chroma.
Simon Rex, who has proven his dramatic and comedic capabilities in films like Red Rocket (2021), feels underutilized here. Rex excels when he’s allowed to bring depth to eccentric characters, blending vulnerability with comedic timing. However, Operation Taco Gary’s rarely gives him the opportunity to do so. Instead, his character becomes trapped in repetitive comedic beats that fail to evolve. There’s a missed opportunity to explore the dramatic undertones beneath the satire, which could have given the film greater emotional weight and made the comedy feel more earned.
At times, the film feels less like a fully realized feature and more like an extended sketch that overstays its welcome. It evokes the structure of a Saturday Night Live skit stretched far beyond its natural runtime, where a funny premise quickly loses steam without escalation or variation. The difference is that great sketch comedy knows when to end. Operation Taco Gary’s doesn’t, and that lack of restraint ultimately undermines whatever goodwill the opening act establishes.
L-R: Simon Rex as Danny and Dustin Milligan as Luke in the comedy, OPERATION TACO GARY’S, a Chroma release. Photo courtesy of Chroma.
In the end, Operation Taco Gary’s is a frustrating experience because of its unrealized potential. The talent is there, the premise is promising, and the first act suggests something genuinely funny and subversive. But inconsistent pacing, weak editing, and unfocused comedic direction prevent it from reaching those heights. What could have been a sharp, cult-worthy satire instead becomes a drawn-out exercise in missed opportunities. For fans of its cast, there are moments of enjoyment, but overall, Operation Taco Gary’s ultimately strikes out where it should have been a home run.
In theaters February 27th, 2026.
Available on digital March 24th, 2026.
For more information, head to the official Chroma Operation Taco Gary’s webpage.
Final Score: 1 out of 5.
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Categories: In Theaters, Reviews, streaming
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