• Reviews

• All
• Music
• DVDs
• Live
• Cinema
• TV
• Books
• Comic Books
• Video Games

Jun 28, 2016 By Austin Trunick Web Exclusive

Nothing which can be accurately described as “the dead farty Harry Potter movie” has any business being as oddly moving as this film. In it, a waterlogged corpse—played by Daniel Radcliffe—washes ashore at the very moment an island castaway—Paul Dano—attempts to end his life. Soon, he discovers the dead body’s practical uses—such as flatulence so strong it can propel him across water like a jet ski—which gives him a new reason to go on surviving. But that, friends, is where the movie only starts to get really weird.

Swiss Army Man is directed by The Daniels, the young filmmaking team behind the ridiculous “Turn Down for What” music video (which, if you’re familiar, should give a good indication of the movie’s twisted body humor.) Visually, the movie looks great, but it sounds even better. The soundtrack—by The Manchester Orchestra, but sung by Dano and Radcliffe—is integrated dietetically into the film at points, transforming these into bizarre but compelling musical moments. The film unravels a bit toward the end, once the curtains are pulled away on the film’s reality, but its two leads are able to sell its insane premise almost the whole way. It seems incredible that they were able to do this all with a straight face, but the fact that they did is what helps it work so well.

swissarmyman.com

Author rating: 6.5/10