Somewhere in the infinite multiverse, Mikey from Swingers (Jon Favreau) never discovers the delight of swing dancing with Heather Graham, ditches his buddies Sue and Trent, and takes off to the open road. The only things Mikey, in this case, a character called Wes (True Blood’s Ryan Kwanten) takes with him are some old belongings, some photographs of his now ex-girlfriend, and a talking Teddy Bear said girlfriend gifted to him for their anniversary. It is not clear initially whether Wes is mourning her death or simply the end of the relationship, as both are implied. He ends up at a rest stop fire pit, chugging whiskey and burning his belongings, including the pants he was wearing, and his wallet.
When morning creeps in, Wes wakes up dazed, confused and very, very sick. He rushes into the restroom to throw up, where he encounters Ghathanatoa (embodied by an always awesome JK Simmons), a demigod created for the purpose of destroying the world, who asks him for a favor.
This is an absolutely gonzo plot, and I went into the viewing with great expectations for a gory, dark comedy. It’s not that I didn’t get exactly what I was expecting, but it took a long time to get to the good stuff, and the film is only 79 minutes long.
The length of the movie should be a selling point, a run time that implies a story that cuts to the chase, but somehow, this movie plodded towards the ending. Director Rebekah McKendry was/is a director of short films, and may have been better off keeping this one in the 30 minute range.
That is not to say this film is completely unworthy of a session. Skin-crawling practical gore effects, a way outside-the-box story, and plot twist that genuinely surprised me (maybe I’m a dumb-ass for not seeing it coming) might make it worth the short amount of time you’ll commit to this little buddy. It will just feel like longer.
I must commend JK Simmons for taking this role. This curious bit alone makes the film worth starting. He continues to add to his eclectic collection of work (Whiplash, Ladykillers, the Spider-Man films), and is always excellent, or at least pretty close. I found myself wondering how much of this performance was ad-libbed, as it certainly was ripe for improv.
There are some themes about heroism and how everything is not always what it seems, but there is nothing deeply philosophical and thought-provoking. That’s okay; not all movies need that.
5/10
Until next time, lovely readers.
A Fool Speaks Loudest 