It's difficult to find a movie that feels original, containing things
we have rarely, if ever, seen on-screen before. Butt
Boy
is that kind of movie. It is a comedy/mystery/thriller about two men
dealing with addiction, using a disarmingly straight-faced tone. It
takes its bizarre story surprisingly seriously considering the plot
outline, giving it time to properly develop. That could have turned
out to be boring if the joke did not work. Here, the deadpan approach
to the material makes it funnier. The keys are solid lead
performances and a screenplay that effectively mimics the feel of
detective stories, stretching it way past where it should have been
able to go. While the plot of Butt
Boy
may have made for an obnoxious gross-out comedy, it is very
entertaining in this form.
I
cannot go any further without directly addressing the premise:
Detective Russell Fox is investigating a missing child case when he
begins to suspect that Chip, his AA sponsor, is responsible.
Meanwhile, Chip has become obsessed with sticking things up his butt.
It
sounds absurd, and it is. However, Butt
Boy
is presented almost as a dual character study, instead of a parade of
wacky gags. It is not unlike something you could find on Adult Swim
at 1am; an increasingly peculiar story with touches of surrealism,
that never winks at its audience or implies that the characters are
in on the joke. It drags at some points and the payoffs take a long
time to come. But the style and performances kept me engaged.
Chip
is played by Tyler Cornack, who directed and co-wrote, with Ryan Koch
(they also teamed up on the moody and suspenseful music, perfect for
the faux-noir style). Chip is bored at work and has a passionless
marriage. His addiction is the only thing that gives him energy.
Cornack plays him as an emotionally empty guy with little to live for
besides shoving things in his butt. A lot of time is given to his
relationship with his wife, Anne, helping to establish his
depression.
The
most impressive thing about the screenplay is it does not use Chip or
his compulsion as one-note gags. It does not psychologically explore
him, though it shows enough to let us understand why he might be
driven to drink or do drugs. It just so happens he was driven to
inserting things in his butt. This is far from a realistic story; it
takes Chip’s addiction to ridiculous extremes even before it leaps
way over the top for the climax. Still, the consistency of the tone
and characterizations stops it from becoming a cartoon.
Russell,
played by Tyler Rice, does not get as much detail. He is a familiar
type: the damaged detective trying to redeem himself by solving a big
case. Butt
Boy
does not get as deep into him, but Rice creates enough of an
individual just through mannerisms. That is why this succeeds as much
as it does: Chip, Russell and Anne are all as believable as
necessary, even if they are sometimes (intentionally, it seems)
stereotypes. The craziness is so understated most of the way that it
allows them to tell an actual story.
Butt
Boy
has the makings of a cult movie. It is slow, off-beat and applies a
wild premise to a tone so serious you may not always be sure if it is
trying to be funny. I appreciate an attempt at something different
and I have not seen anything quite like this. It is amusing, odd,
gross (though kind of restrained much of the way) and compelling, if
you can get on its wavelength. You might know where it is going, yet
it does not get there exactly how you expect. If you see only one
movie about a detective investigating a guy who secretly enjoys
putting things up his butt, make it Butt
Boy.
Butt Boy will be available on VOD platforms on April 14th.
-Ben Pivoz
