20-Year-Old Kieran Culkin Roman Roy-ed in This Hidden 2000s Gem Long Before Succession

While there are few, if any, characters who have gotten their happy endings on Succession, the Roy sibling trio of Kendall, Shiv, and Roman all got the short end of the stick. Roman's downfall in Season 4 was so impactful and devastating that it earned Kieran Culkin widespread recognition and a few prestigious awards during the 2024 awards season.

What many people don't seem to realize, however, is that this isn't the first time the actor has played a character similar to Roman. In fact, many Succession fans believe that Igby, Culkin's character from the 2002 dramedy Igby Goes Down, has an eerily similar backstory to Roman's.

Is Igby Goes Down Worth Watching?

2002 was supposed to be the year that Kieran Culkin's acting career took off, and it would have been if the actor hadn't decided to retire on his own. His performance in Igby Goes Down was universally acclaimed and even earned the young actor a Golden Globe nomination, despite the initial box office flop.

With 75% on Rotten Tomatoes, this film remains one of the hidden gems of the 2000s.

The film follows Culkin's titular character, Igby, and his struggle to find a place in life. He is constantly nagged by his abusive but incredibly rich mother and haunted by visions of his mentally unstable father. Sent to military school, he runs away and gets involved with some older women. Sounds familiar, huh?

Although the movie is listed as a comedy and a drama, it is humorous in the same sense as Succession. The movie's darkest moments are punctuated by the darkest possible humor. Culkin's own great comedic talent is joined by Claire Danes, Jeff Goldblum, Susan Sarandon and Cynthia Nixon.

With a solid budget of $9 million, probably spent on the star-studded cast and filming sets that must have showcased the family's wealth, the movie ended up being a major flop at the box office. It only made $6.9 million at the box office and was quickly forgotten by the masses. Until now, when, thanks to HBO's hit show, Igby Goes Down gets another chance.

If you want to see Kieran Culkin take on a role as emotionally complex as his Succession performance, but 20 years prior to that, be sure to rent or buy Igby Goes Down on Vudu, Amazon Prime Video, or Apple TV.