Tusk (2014)

This is a peculiar one.

Maybe the name Kevin Smith rings a bell? Not only is he pretty well-versed in the world of film, but he  also likes to write screenplays and occasionally make a film himself. He will probably remain most famous for 'Clerks', but he keeps on doing other stuff as well. One of the reasons most of his work does not agree well with the majority of people is that it is so off kilter, you have to actually want to see those projects.

That definitely goes for this one.

Justin Long and Haley Joel Osment are presenters of a popular podcast that riffs on people and videos on the Internet. They discover the video of a kid slicing his own leg off with a katana and decide that it would be even better if they interviewed him in person. So Long is off to Canada in order to do this, but when he arrives, it turns out the kid has committed suicide. Now he's stuck and has no story, until he comes across a letter from a man named Howard Howe, who claims to have wonderful tales to tell. So off he goes, but when he reaches the old man's house, not all is what it seems.

And here we go into spoiler territory, so if you want to remain surprised, feel free to stop reading.

No?

Okay then.

This Howard Howe was once saved by a walrus, and now he is trying his very best to recreate a walrus by mutilating and operating on people in order to relive his rescue and feel some redemption after having killed said walrus. So it doesn't take long for limbs to be cut off and rearranged and appendages to be redesigned.

Yes, it is absolutely as insane as it sounds.

There are definitely good points to be made here. Michael Parks as the weird hermit Howard Howe is by far the best part of the film. He is weird, but it takes a while before you realize how insane he is. He feels like one of those great cinema creeps that can lift a mediocre thriller or horrorfilm to a higher level. He is absolutely the best reason to watch this. It takes a while for the film to go full on in creep-factor, but when it starts, it doesn't let up. The dialogue throughout is also one of the high points, but that has always been a staple of Kevin Smith, in that he most of the time writes snappy dialogue that balances on the funny. It is fast paced and in your face and that sits nicely with the film.

Unfortunately, there are some things that don't work as well. Johnny Depp's performance as Guy Lapointe doesn't work for me. I know, no one is supposed to know that that is Johnny Depp, but you can tell from a mile away. His accent and mannerisms just didn't do it for me and I honestly found him boring and uninspired. But let's be honest: Depp has been phoning it in since the third Pirates of the Caribbean anyway, so no real surprises there. My main gripe is that our main character, the one person we're supposed to root for, is such an unlikeable dickhead. Justin Long plays him with gusto, but I can't help but feel it would have been nice if we had a more sympathetic lead. Now, we just don't really care all that much that he is mutilated.

Yes, I get the idea that he becomes a curiosity, just like he has made fun of curiosities for a living, so the Ouroboros is here. But still.

Despite its flaws, I can't help but like this one. It is bizarre, yet enthralling. The caveat being that this is by far not a film for everyone. Heck, if you read the premisse and think: "Nope." then give this a hard pass. But if you're into films that aren't straightforward or just plain weird, you might find some enjoyment here.