Tusk

Tusk (2014)

Producers: Nate Bolotin, Jennifer Schwalbach Smith, Nick Spicer, et al.

Director: Kevin Smith

Rated: R for some disturbing violence/gore, language and sexual content

Runtime: 102 min

Genre: Comedy, Horror, Drama

In complete honesty, I'm not sure what to say about this movie. I by no means regret going to see it, it was an interesting time at the movies. I think the viewer could fall into a trap of trying to see more in the film than was there to see. Maybe there's tons of symbolism and social commentary in there, a treatise on the nature of man hidden among this dialogue and absurdity laden horror flick. For now I'm going to assume that's not the case. The one bit of commentary that I will point out is mentioned early in the film; we as Internet goers should be thankful that the videos of us doing stupid things haven't made it to the web yet, and less enthusiastically mock those who were not so lucky.

With that bit of seriousness out of the way, let's move along. Tusk owes its inception to Kevin Smith and Scott Mosier's podcast, SModcast 259 The Walrus and The Carpenter. After riffing on an ad for free living accommodations provided the tenant dress as a walrus Smith gave his fans a chance to vote for or against the movie being made, they voted yes and we have the film here before us.

Tusk almost seems like two movies back to back. The first part of the movie sets up the characters well, with strong performances from all of the cast. Justin Long's Wallace Bryton is suitably obnoxious and self-important, Genesis Rodriguez plays his girlfriend Ally, the scorned but still loving companion to a man that she admits she sometimes doesn't even recognize anymore. Haley Joel Osment steps up as Teddy, whom I imagine is Wallace's only friend. The real star of the show is Michael Parks. Whether he's mocking Wallace, reciting literature, or soliloquizing to a captive audience; Parks' Howard Howe is electric. In a cast full of strong performances Mr. Parks stands tall. Tension builds during the first part of the movie as the audience is given deeper and deeper glimpses into the the madness that grips Howe. You can feel the inevitability of what is to come.

There's a surprise appearance in the last act of the movie that many people have pointed to as a turning point. I, however, don't feel that the tonal shift coincides with that appearance. It happens when Howe's handiwork is revealed to the audience, in all of its ridiculous glory. I'm not sure of the response this reveal was intended to garner from the audience, but in my viewing it was mostly laughter. To that point in the film tense dialogue and a Misery-esque situation had seemed like the introduction to a disturbing horror tale. Upon the reveal though, Tusk becomes something much less serious, and in the process stumbles a bit.

Conclusion: Stellar performances from the cast anchor what is a very strange movie. Kevin Smith's familiar hand in the dialogue is at times unbalanced by wordy monologues, saved in part by the delivery of Michael Parks. The shift in the third act was jarring, but enjoyable, from dark psychological horror to an odd sort of absurd surrealism.

Rating: 7.75/10