Wrong Cops

Quentin Dupieux's films are not for everyone, but if you're looking for a very fun, absurdist film you're going to love Wrong Cops.

I can't understand why other reviewers hate on this film so much. I watched it and laughed my ass off and had a great time. It's my favorite film of the past year. It's deadpan absurdity, a sequence of slightly the surreal encounters of a police force that does more harm than good, who spend their time selling drugs, refusing to investigate crimes, and composing house music. Dupieux's films collectively are like a breath of fresh air in a stodgy and self-important film culture.

The plot of Wrong Cops is loose and it almost feels like a piece written for the stage. It's all about the slightly twisted encounters - from scene to scene there is no way to predict where the film will take you, and once it takes you there there's no way to know exactly where you are. This kind of mischievous disorientation can be very fun if you just let go and take the ride.

If you like David Lynch, Alejandro Jodorowsky, etc. - films that go over the top with their surrealism and absurdity, films that never feel quite comfortable and familiar yet which you can't look away from, you will love this film. If you're looking for standard fare, just don't watch it. It will probably make you angry.

There's no plot to "Wrong Cops." It... just sort of unfolds, like a flower blooming, then withering, then rotting.

The official synopsis claims that "Wrong Cops" is set in a future where crime has been eradicated —but you'd never know this was "SF" by watching this film cold. "Wrong" looks like it was shot during a sunny day in New Jersey or someplace.

Due to this lack of structure, "Wrong" has a anemic, listless, aimless feel, which makes viewing tedious at times. Overall, however, the lack of structure (or maybe the structure I'm not picking up on) adds to the absurdity of the comedy, making it truly funny in places. Additionally, an otherworldly soundtrack of messy, electronic beats strings the movie together, giving it its own identity. I love the music. It makes this movie feel like it's set in another dimension. One character comments on it, suggesting that they may be in Hell: "We have invisible flames around us. You can't see them, but we all have invisible flames around us."

Marilyn Manson has a small role as a maligned high school kid and he's very funny. I've always respected him after watching his insightful interview on "Bowling for Columbine," and he seems like a cool guy, someone who doesn't take himself too seriously. That's the attitude of this film, too. You just laugh at the oddness of it all, and don't get annoyed or angry when the plot doesn't make sense. I've seen other user reviews refer to this as a movie for weed-smokers. I don't smoke pot, but I can see this as perfect pothead theatre.

Parts of the movie that drag tend to be scenes with Eric Wareheim and Arden Myrin. I don't know them from other work—both are comedians, apparently—but the scenes with them (especially Wareheim) kind of suck. Wareheim getting sprayed with pepper spray was slooooow and his comedy mannerisms seem to be him just over enunciating "n" and "t" sounds, like he's doing a cruel impression of a severely autistic adolescent. Props to Mark Burnham, however. He's got real charisma as the bullheaded lead, and the guy playing "Sunshine" looks a lot like Edward Norton. That's funny to me, somehow.

Recommended.

I'm gonna keep it brief.

I got high, watched this and laughed. I laughed at its weird, incoherent plot line and it's weird, strange characters that did weird, crude things. The review before this mentions a "stilted dialogue" which I think is an accurate description...but in a good way.

This is a very niche sort of humour - not for everyone granted. I'm not comparing it to Freddie Got Fingered, but if you're the type who 'got' that film, you'll understand this one - which I suppose is not reading into too much into it and just effin' laugh at it instead.

The cinematography was definitely a plus as well. Not groundbreaking, but actually well considered for this type of film.

All in all, its not to be taken seriously. This is someone just simply playing around and having fun.

Like a more criminalistic and corrupt Reno 911 mixed with a stoner movie. There are a lot of unfunny parts but somehow that makes the movie better. I'd be interested to know if there was any script at all and, if so, how much of it actually made it into the film.

I am personally very surprised by the movies low rating. It is true that the movie has a specific type of humor you have to be into. But when you are into this kind of humor, you will very much enjoy this movie. I was pretty much laughing continuously for the whole movie. I guess comedies always get a relatively low rating because there are a lot of people out there without any humor. However of all comedies, this is definitely one of the better ones. My advice: watch the movie, if you are not rolling on the floor laughing after the first 10 minutes, don't watch the movie. If you are rolling on the floor laughing, well I don't have to tell you what to do. Anyhow, there is also another point which is the music, I can imagine that some people are annoyed by Quentin Dupieux electronic music, yes, in that case this movie is not your movie.