Final Jackass film divides critics with aging cast's stunts

The final Jackass film, *Jackass: Best and Last*, has arrived as both a nostalgic farewell and a stark reminder of the franchise’s waning energy, critics agree. Released on 25 June 2026, the movie sees Johnny Knoxville, Steve-O, and the rest of the Gen-X stunt crew—now in their 50s—pushing physical limits with prostate exams, "looksmaxxing" stunts, and other ill-advised antics. The result, according to *Financial Times* reviewer Henry Mance, is a "kamikaze" send-off that leans into self-aware absurdity rather than genuine thrills . "Only kidding," Mance writes, "Johnny Knoxville, Steve-O and Co embrace prostate exams and Looksmaxxing in what could be a fitting epitaph."

Finnish outlet *Helsingin Sanomat* was less charitable, calling the film a "monument to dwindling vitality" and arguing that the once-rebellious troupe has lost its edge . "The backyard Buster Keatons have run out of steam," the review declares, framing *Jackass: Best and Last* as a testament to aging rather than reinvention. Austrian newspaper *Der Standard* struck a more indulgent tone, acknowledging the film’s appeal to die-hard fans despite its reliance on shock value for a crew now "old and in need of the money" .

The mixed reception underscores a broader cultural moment for the franchise, which began in 2000 with MTV’s *Jackass* and evolved into a series of theatrical films. Knoxville, 55, has long framed the series as a celebration of reckless youth, but critics suggest the latest installment inadvertently highlights the limits of that ethos. The film’s promotional tour leaned into the absurd, with Steve-O jokingly endorsing "prostate exams as foreplay" during interviews—a far cry from the raw, unfiltered chaos of the early 2000s.

Reaction from fans has been predictably polarized. Social media erupted with memes celebrating the crew’s endurance, while others questioned whether the film’s gimmicks—like a stunt involving a "looksmaxxing" mirror—were more sad than funny. The *Financial Times* review captured the divide: "It’s not that they’ve run out of ideas. It’s that they’ve run out of bodies to break."

For Knoxville, the film may serve as a fitting swan song. The crew’s willingness to mock their own aging—through prosthetics, padding, and self-deprecating humor—suggests an awareness of their mortality. Whether audiences will follow remains to be seen. As *Der Standard* put it: "They’re old, they need the money, and they’re still doing it."