MOM AND DAD (2017)

4/24/18 - Mom and Dad (2017) - 4/10

Bug funning insane but not in a trippy, experimental, or truly ambitious way.This violent gonzo farce about parents turning on their beloved children and killing them whacks you over the head with the symbology and purpose until you are bludgeoned to death or into a sick satisfying grim-grin. Conceptually, there is a fun premise, but like its star’s acting prowess, it is intense, unrelenting, and over-the-top. This clever seed grew into a loud mouthed bombastic nut-ball Audrey (from Little Shop of Horrors), keen on death and depression, but with laughs or whatever.

Nicolas Cage revels in his sadistic midlife crisis while Selma Blair delivers a controlled middle aged hollowness and despair. Both are fairly solid and actually work at putting a face on the dismal suburban disillusionment and providing a workable kaleidoscope to view the murderous rampaging. Where they get off the rails is in their ridiculously off-beat and overblown “character pieces” and their juxtaposed glee in attempted murder, which doesn’t jibe with the other instances shown.

There is some sick fantasy fulfillment here, and while disgustingly primal in its wickedness and taboos, the premise only takes you so far, especially as all the other elements (dialogue, situations, camera work, flashbacks) are all turned up to the max. I will give it credit for going all in on a fun, twisted thesis and for having a serviceable level of watch-ability, but some of that is more “car crash” than enthusiasm. Bonkers and bemused.