A tale of two Rogens.

With an appeal that has endured since the mid-noughties, there’s much to admire in just how far Seth Rogen’s goofball stoner schtick has got him. After bumbling onto the scene with the Judd Apatow crew in The 40-Year-Old Virgin, then hitting it big with Knocked Up, Rogen has made a successful career from his awkward nerd act for the best part of two decades now. However, like many a comedian before him, some of his best work has come when a little drama is added to the mix.

Often pigeonholed as the dopey stoner, Seth Rogen’s best work has come when these recurring characteristics are folded into a more earnest approach. Much like Robin Williams with Good Will Hunting and Jim Carrey with Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, there seems to have been a tipping point in Rogen’s career where embracing his dramatic side has opened up new doors for him as a performer.

As evidenced with cancer comedy 50/50 and his standout role as Steve Wozniak in the decidedly un-comedic Steve Jobs, Rogen has excelled when embracing his dramatic chops, and with An American Pickle there are certainly suggestions that he is ready to continue down this path.

After accidentally preserving himself in a vat of pickle brine for a hundred years, struggling Jewish immigrant Herschel Greenbaum (Seth Rogen) emerges unscathed in present-day Brooklyn. Eager to reunite with his family, Herschel’s hopes are soon dashed when he discovers that his only surviving relative is his great grandson, Ben Greenbaum (also Seth Rogen), a mild-mannered app developer whom Herschel can’t even begin to comprehend. As the two distant relatives get to know one another, it quickly becomes apparent that the blood that binds them is no thicker than the brine that pickled Herschel.

Both literally and figuratively, An American Pickle is a tale of two Rogens. On one hand, you have the kind of laidback goofball comedy that Seth Rogen has built his career on, however, what makes the film such an intriguing prospect is that, beneath the silly exterior, beats the heart of a touching, surprisingly heartfelt, generational drama.

It’s a welcome twist to the tried and tested Rogen formula, and while the clash of styles doesn’t always gel, there’s a lot to be said for the attempt to do something a little different. And different is the optimal word here, as An American Pickle builds its humour around perhaps one of the daftest comedy premises you’re ever likely to come across.

The entire concept of a man pickling himself and emerging intact and unaged a full century later is an inherently silly one riddled with plot holes, however, what’s remarkable about An American Pickle is just how little the absurdity of the narrative actually matters in the grand scheme of things.

While you’d be well within your rights to get hung up on these incongruities and the giant leaps in logic, if you are able to move past this, there’s much to enjoy with An American Pickle. With a string of plot holes a mile wide, many a comedy would disintegrate under the pressure, yet, what makes the film succeed is an awareness of just how silly it is, while balancing its farcical elements with a decent helping of heart.

Proudly Jewish but unafraid to question his upbringing and teachings, the story of an American Jewish immigrant struggling to reconcile with modernity and a cavernous generational gap may just be Rogen’s most personal project yet. And it’s through this connection that An American Pickle finds a personal grounding in what could’ve been farcical nonsense.

Make no mistake, An American Pickle is overtly eccentric, sometimes jarringly so, however, this is balanced effectively with some well rendered and poignantly delivered observations on generational divide and faith. At its best when delving into these elements, the film clicks as it touches on the simultaneous connection and divide between Herschel and Ben, exploring the mutual loss that links them.

For a man taking on a dual starring role, much of An American Pickle’s success rests, quite understandably, on Seth Rogen’s shoulders. Yet, rather than sink him, this added pressure appears to spur the actor on, as he puts in one of the most endearing and engaging performances of his career.

Less successful, however, are the moments when An American Pickle wanders a little too close to Rogen’s usual comedy territory. Far more comfortable when its aiming for a warm, amiable brand of humour, the film really starts to wobble when it strains too hard to be wacky.

The fish-out-of-water schtick is certainly fun, with Herschel’s initial bewilderment towards contemporary life and his great grandson bringing with it several solid, if obvious, chuckles. As the plot progresses though, the comedy starts to derail as the zany pickle-based antics ramp up and the film tries desperately to pad out its running time.

Based on the short story ‘Sell Out’ by the film’s writer Simon Rich, An American Pickle tries hard the sustain itself over its 90-minute run time, however, even for such a short duration, it frequently struggles to do so. With the plot running out of juice roughly halfway through, the writing leans heavily on the farcical rivalry between Herschel and Ben that, while entertaining to a certain extent, lacks the emotional tug of the film’s earlier moments.

The two-and-fro of Herschel and Ben’s one-upmanship feels like an attempt to bulk out the short source material, but while the spiralling farce adds a certain level of throwback comedy charm to it - as if the farcical maestro himself Mel Brooks was involved - it only really serves to pull the film further away from what really makes it tick.

However, despite its distinct lack of bite, it’s hard not to fall for An American Pickle’s charm. With a clear personal connection to its star, the film’s comment on faith, loss, and generational divide is a surprisingly astute one, especially when you consider just how bizarre its setup is. Combining an overtly wacky premise with a sweet, warm sense of humour, An American Pickle does a decent job of making potentially heavy subject matter palatable.

Built on the back of a dual Seth Rogen performance among the best of his career, An American Pickle has its heart in the right place for a zany farce that may not possess the comedic tang that some might expect, yet delivers just enough emotional bite to keep things interesting. Although the plot eventually runs out of juice, the film’s low-key humour and amiable charm are enough to make An American Pickle something to truly relish.

An American Pickle is in cinemas (UK) and available to stream on HBO Max (US) now.