Eenie Meanie (film)

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Eenie Meanie
Promotional poster
Directed byShawn Simmons
Written byShawn Simmons
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyTim Ives
Edited byChris Patterson
Music byBobby Krlic
Production
companies
Distributed byHulu
Release date
  • August 22, 2025 (2025-08-22) (United States)
Running time
96 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$50 million[2]

Eenie Meanie is a 2025 American heist thriller film written and directed by Shawn Simmons, in his feature directorial debut. Samara Weaving leads an ensemble cast that includes Karl Glusman, Jermaine Fowler, Marshawn Lynch, Randall Park, Steve Zahn, and Andy Garcia. It was released on August 22, 2025, by Hulu.

Plot

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Edie, a former teenage getaway driver, is dragged back into her unsavory past when a former employer offers her a chance to save the life of her chronically unreliable ex-boyfriend.

To save her ex-boyfriend who fell foul of an old crime boss, she agrees to be the getaway driver for a casino heist. However, over time, she eventually realizes that her ex-boyfriend cannot change and decides to take matters into her own hands.

Cast

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Production

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In September 2021, it was announced that 20th Century Studios acquired the rights to an untitled thriller written by Wayne creator Shawn Simmons, with Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick producing.[3] In July 2023, it was announced that the film was titled Eenie Meanie, with Simmons as director and Samara Weaving attached to star.[4] In March 2024, Karl Glusman joined the film.[5] Kyanna Simon and Randall Park joined in April 2024.[6] The next month, Andy Garcia, Jermaine Fowler, Marshawn Lynch, Chris Bauer, Steve Zahn, and Mike O'Malley joined the cast.[7]

Filming began by April 24, 2024, in Cleveland, Ohio, under the working title Stickshift and with Tim Ives as cinematographer.[8][9] Filming also took place in Lakewood and Toledo, with the Hollywood Casino being used as a location; shooting caused detours for the Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority 10L and 14 bus routes.[10][11][2] It wrapped up on June 29.[12]

Release

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Eenie Meanie was released by 20th Century Studios on Hulu on August 22, 2025.[5][13]

Reception

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On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 38% of 34 critics' reviews are positive.[14] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 47 out of 100, based on 10 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[15]

John Nugent of Empire gave Eenie Meanie 4 out of 5 stars, calling it a "rollicking crime comedy with enough punchy jokes and exhilarating action" that deserves a wider audience due to its energetic direction and vibrant humor.[16] Ben Gibbons of Screen Rant rated the film 7/10, praising it as a thrilling and engaging action dramedy that expertly blends genres and delivers a coherent, gripping story, highlighting Samara Weaving's strong performance and the film's ability to balance emotion with high-energy action.[17] Bill Bria of /Film also rated it 7/10, believing the film successfully merges thrilling action with a nuanced exploration of morality while showcasing Weaving's standout performance.[18]

Carla Meyer of San Francisco Chronicle considered Eenie Meanie an enjoyable heist film that offers "mindless fun" with strong performances and authentic action, despite its derivative elements and a late tonal shift that undermines its initial charm.[19] William Bibbiani of TheWrap similarly praised the film for its "snappy dialogue, cool car chase, and great cast", but noted that it ultimately lacks memorability and could benefit from more dynamic action sequences.[20] Benjamin Lee at The Guardian gave the film 2 out of 5 stars and described the film as "a bumpy road" for audiences, feeling it is out of place in its streaming context; while it showcases effective action and Weaving's lead performance, it ultimately lacks originality and emotional depth in Shawn Simmons's screenplay.[21]

Natalie Winkelman of The New York Times found Eenie Meanie to be a chaotic heist film filled with "cheap thrills and tawdry action", struggling to balance self-awareness with serious melodrama.[22] Brian Tallerico of RogerEbert.com gave the film 1 out of 4 stars, criticizing it for its "lack of identity and almost zero organic tension", describing it as a heavy rip-off of Quentin Tarantino and Edgar Wright's films, with no "thrills, stakes, or characters to care about".[23] Brianna Zigler of The A.V. Club described the film as a watchable yet frustrating heist drama in her C- review, deeming it ultimately condescending to its female lead for reinforcing regressive themes about women being defined by their relationships with men.[24]

References

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  1. ^ "'Eenie Meanie' Review: Road Rage". The New York Times. August 22, 2025. Retrieved August 23, 2025.
  2. ^ a b O'Bryan, Jim (May 8, 2024). "Hooray For Hollywood, Part 10". The Lakewood Observer. Archived from the original on August 28, 2024. Retrieved August 28, 2024.
  3. ^ Kroll, Justin (September 28, 2021). "Shawn Simmons To Write High-Speed Thriller For 20th Century Studios With 'Deadpool' Scribes Producing". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on October 7, 2024. Retrieved August 28, 2024.
  4. ^ Kroll, Justin (July 12, 2023). "Samara Weaving To Star In 20th Century Thriller 'Eenie Meanie' From Director Shawn Simmons". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on October 7, 2024. Retrieved August 28, 2024.
  5. ^ a b Grobar, Matt; Wiseman, Andreas (March 6, 2024). "Karl Glusman Joins Samara Weaving In 20th Heist Thriller 'Eenie Meanie'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 6, 2024. Retrieved March 6, 2024.
  6. ^ Grobar, Matt (April 11, 2024). "Kyanna Simone, Randall Park Join 20th Century Studios Thriller 'Eenie Meanie'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on April 11, 2024. Retrieved April 11, 2024.
  7. ^ Grobar, Matt (May 9, 2024). "Andy Garcia, Jermaine Fowler, Marshawn Lynch & Steve Zahn Among Final Additions To 20th Heist Thriller 'Eenie Meanie'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 9, 2024. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
  8. ^ Maloney, Damon (April 24, 2024). "CLE neighborhood turns into movie set for upcoming action film, residents don't seem to mind the distraction". News 5 Cleveland. Archived from the original on October 7, 2024. Retrieved August 28, 2024.
  9. ^ "What we know about the Hulu film 'Eenie Meanie' being filmed in Toledo". WTVG. June 24, 2024. Archived from the original on October 7, 2024. Retrieved August 28, 2024.
  10. ^ "TARTA faces detours as filming commences at Hollywood Casino". The Blade. June 12, 2024. Archived from the original on October 7, 2024. Retrieved August 28, 2024.
  11. ^ Patch, David (June 18, 2024). "Movie shoot at casino closes street, I-75 ramps". The Blade. Archived from the original on October 7, 2024. Retrieved August 28, 2024.
  12. ^ Unger, Elena (June 29, 2024). "That's a wrap: Toledo movie production ends in success". The Blade. Retrieved August 30, 2024.
  13. ^ Squires, John (June 24, 2025). "Eenie Meanie – First Images of Samara Weaving in Hulu Thriller". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved June 24, 2025.
  14. ^ "Eenie Meanie". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved August 26, 2025.
  15. ^ "Eenie Meanie". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved August 25, 2025.
  16. ^ Nugent, John (August 22, 2025). "Eenie Meanie Review". Empire. Retrieved August 27, 2025.
  17. ^ Gibbons, Ben (August 22, 2025). "Eenie Meanie Review: Samara Weaving Is Perfectly Cast In An Energetic Thriller That Could've Benefitted From A Theatrical Run". Screen Rant. Retrieved August 27, 2025.
  18. ^ Bria, Bill (August 22, 2025). "Eenie Meanie Review: Samara Weaving Helps A Funny, Moody Crime Caper Get Away Clean". /Film. Retrieved August 27, 2025.
  19. ^ Meyer, Carla (August 21, 2025). "'Eenie Meanie' review: Hulu heist movie offers throwback, throwaway fun". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved August 27, 2025.
  20. ^ Bibbiani, William (August 21, 2025). "'Eenie Meanie' Review: Samara Weaving Guns It in Hulu's Above Average Elmore Leonard Riff". TheWrap. Retrieved August 27, 2025.
  21. ^ Lee, Benjamin (August 22, 2025). "Eenie Meanie review – middling comedy thriller has its moments". The Guardian. Retrieved August 27, 2025.
  22. ^ Winkelman, Natalie (August 22, 2025). "'Eenie Meanie' Review: Road Rage". The New York Times. Retrieved August 27, 2025.
  23. ^ Tallerico, Brian (August 23, 2025). "Eenie Meanie". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved August 27, 2025.
  24. ^ Zigler, Brianna (August 22, 2025). "It sure is too bad about the screenplay of the otherwise competent heist film Eenie Meanie". The A.V. Club. Retrieved August 27, 2025.
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