Jackass: Best and Last will make you gag then cry minutes later

‘Say a prayer,’ Johnny Knoxville is advised before the stunt that started it all.

Footage from 1998 of the Jackass stuntman testing a cheap bulletproof vest by shooting himself with a .38-caliber Smith and Wesson pistol has never been seen in full after MTV refused to air it. Until now.

The scene left me sweating just minutes into the start of Jackass: Best and Last, the jaw-dropping final instalment in the franchise which will make even the toughest cinemagoers dizzy with indecency.

If, like me, you’ve been a fan of Jackass since its inception in the heyday of 2000s MTV, you’d think you’ve seen it all by now. But Best and Last pushes the boundaries even further for one last time with an XL dose of disgusting.

From robot rectal examinations (lubricated by crunchy peanut butter, of course), to penis shock collars, Knoxville, Chris Pontius, Steve-O and co prove that physically torturing yourself at 50 is just as unhinged now as it was 25 years ago.

This being the final film, you’ll see a 50/50 split between new and archive footage, which admittedly isn’t for everyone.

If you’ve already seen infamous stunts such as the Porta-Potty Slingshot, The Ding Dong, and who could forget Butt X-Ray, you might find yourself either adoringly reminiscing over the early years of Jackass, or a bit bored.

But cutting room floor moments inject nostalgia into a beloved franchise which wholeheartedly belongs to millennials. Taking a sleazy trip down memory lane feels surprisingly sentimental, despite the many penises and copious amounts of fecal matter you’ll be subjected to for 92 minutes straight.

The newer stunts slightly pale in comparison to the earlier years. Sean McInerney, AKA Poopies, being injected with a syringe full of lip filler just for the hell of it, doesn’t quite live up to Knoxville coming close to death after being launched out of a malfunctioning rocket back in 2006.

However, if you’re after good old-fashioned gross-out-stunts, one scene in particular, which long-time Jackass director Jeff Tremaine told Metro nearly didn’t make the cut, is the sickening standout.

Involving laxatives, clear underwear, and a game of Twister, what unfolds will undoubtedly make you feel sick to your stomach. If it’s not for the concept itself, it’s for the close-up shots which will be etched into your memory long after the credits roll.

Jackass has marched on for over two decades now, despite Bam Margera’s bitter exit (he only appears in older scenes in this film), Ryan Dunn’s devastating death, and countless injuries, and that says a lot.

There’s just something about the combination of extreme physical comedy and beautifully magnetic, childish friendships that brings you back time and time again.

What sets Best and Last apart from the others is the emotion. Knoxville has infamously said after each of the five films that he’s had enough, but this one actually feels like we’re waving goodbye to a beloved pioneer of slapstick comedy for good.

The final scene of the film, which Knoxville insisted on an extra day of filming for at a substantial cost to the studio, is surprisingly moving following on from back-to-back depravity. I’ll admit, it did leave me tearful.

A new Jackass film in 2026 makes you wonder how much of the franchise is still genuinely funny, or if it’s just nice to reminisce on a time long before YouTube pranks and TikTok rage bait, where a simple kick between the legs and electric shock by the original TV pranksters was enough to pull in record breaking ratings and giggles.

Either way, the words ‘Hi, I’m Johnny Knoxville and welcome to Jackass!’ will live on far beyond the final hurrah.

Jackass: Best and Last is in cinemas from June 26.