In 2014's Tusk, Kevin Smith delivers what may be one of the strangest creature films I have ever seen. Justin Long and Michael Parks lead the cast of this peculiar, indie-horror that I will definitely never forget. Not for its story or performances, but because it provided some of the most disturbing visuals I have ever seen. Accompanied by a ridiculous plot and strange cameos, this film is definitely worth checking out. Or maybe not? You can decide.
There were only a few aspects of this film that I really enjoyed. The practical effects used in the horrendous walrus suit that Wallace (Justin Long) was trapped in was impressive in how much it freaked me out. It was just an inhumane flesh sack that was made to be absolutely revolting by the art department, so I guess they did a pretty good job. The performances in this film were mediocre, but all of the cast did fit their characters very well. Wallace, along with his friend Teddy (Haley Joel Osment), girlfriend Ally (Genesis Rodriguez), and the obsessed captor Howard Howe (Michael Parks) were all decent in their roles. I also appreciated the connection between this film and Kevin Smith's other indie film Yoga Hosers by incorporating the characters of Colleen Collette (Lily-Rose Depp) and Colleen McKenzie (Harley Quinn Smith) into the gas station scenes.
The main issue with this film was its many unnecessary elements. This movie could have easily been a horror short film that only focused on the story of Wallace and his evil captor Howard. It was painfully evident that Smith had a small idea for what this film could have been, but did not know how to flush it out to make a more engaging, overall story (this entire movie is based on a podcast, after all). Enter Johnny Depp. His character Guy Lapointe was an ostracized homicide detective that has been hunting Howard for many years. The fault in this character is that he was so unnecessary and was only added for two reasons: 1. Depp is a close friend of Smith's and 2. Smith needed any kind of substance to make the movie interesting. This is also apparent in many of the scenes between Wallace and Howe, as Howe is monologuing for minutes at a time, blabbering about who knows what. These painstakingly predictable scenes dragged on much longer than needed and the dialogue suffered because of that.
My biggest misunderstanding of this movie is what the message is supposed to be. It sounds cheesy saying "every movie should teach the audience something," but there was nothing I actually got from the film. Besides the obvious metaphor of the maniac Howe trying to reclaim his youth by re-enacting his experience with the walrus, there were no connections to be made. Unless I am missing a crucial part of the story, I could not see what the point was, frankly. I did not care about the characters, either, because of the lack of any decent development. During the entire movie, Wallace was a cheating, manipulative, classless prick that got caught up in this perverted horror experiment. I did not care that he was tortured, cut into pieces, and turned into a walrus, which is a bad sign for the main character. And even if he changed as a character, the audience would not know because of his horrendous transformation into a walrus prevented him from speaking.
Tusk is as disturbing as it is unforgettable. Maybe not in the best way, but the image of Justin Long as a deformed, walrus creature flopping around in a dungeon will, unfortunately, never leave my mind. Check this film out on Netflix if you dare, but be prepared to turn it off if you get easily spooked.
My Rating: ★★
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