Relaxer

Cam gives his slacker brother Abbie one last challenge before he's kicked out. To beat Billy Mitchell at Pac Man. If he clears level 256 then he wins $100,000. Cam adds that he can not under any circumstance leave the couch. And if that's not bad enough, the Y2K apocalypse is on the horizon. As weeks go by he begins to deteriorate. Surreal, weird, and gross at times.

This film gets two stars instead of just one from me because I sat through all of it to see how it would (could?) end. Otherwise my singular thought, when it finally did finish, was to regret not knowing where I first heard of it so I could ignore their recommendations forever into the future. Sorry if this offends anyone who enjoys "unique" films but I used to think I did too. Until this one.

An interesting point that smacks of the 90s but judging by its thin content it would have served better as a short film.

I was very much taken aback upon watching writer/director Joel Potrykus' previous film Buzzard. It's been a few years, but I remember appreciating it both as a great character study, as well as a love-letter to 80s and 90s pop culture (it was also very funny). I grew up in the 90s myself, and find my own nostalgia for that pre-smart phone, pre-internet period to be immense. When I read the premise of Potrykus' latest film Relaxer, I was naturally excited to see it.

Relaxer concerns woebegone slacker Abbie's inability to get off the couch. The film begins with his older brother Cam bullying him into completing a challenge involving drinking a certain amount of nebulous-looking milk, the successful completion of which Abbie places above, say, bathing or using a toilet. Cam disputes the successful completion of the dairy challenge and presents Abbie with a new one: conquering level 256 of Pac Man for a large monetary reward. Seemingly unable to stand up to his older brother or take care of his basic human needs, Abbie complies. The remainder of the film takes place exclusively in Abbie's disgusting apartment, where he is visited by some annoying friends who provide little relief to the situation. As the films continues, the absurdity level delightfully ramps up.

Even moreso than Buzzard, Relaxer harkens back to some dialogue heavy slacker films of yesteryear. I was reminded mostly of early Kevin Smith and Richard Linklater, partly for the geek culture reverie. There's also shades of Jim Jarmusch and Harmony Korine here.

Joshua Burge once again takes on the lead role, as he did in Buzzard. His droopy eyes and unusual appearance lend themselves well to these types of outsider roles, but that's not to take anything away from his acting chops. His understated performance nearly transcends the boredom of watching his one-note, arc-less character interact with other similar characters for an hour and a half. Alas, for a film that lives and dies on its dialogue, Relaxer isn't quite funny enough to negate the malaise. The film picked up some steam in its final act, but it felt too-little, too-late by then.

Unlike Buzzard, Abbie doesn't appear to be at odds with any internal struggle, other than completing whichever trivial challenge he's currently facing. Perhaps that Relaxer's point, and while authentic, doesn't make for a very entertaining film.

Qualms aside, I continue to appreciate Potrykus' unique vision, and eagerly await his next film.

Not sure what to make of this movie journey. Is it about doing inconsequential nothings in life; addictions/obsessions; submission to others; sitting out the coming Y2K event of supposed doom when tech can't handle a date change. Anyway, totally filmed in a slimy, grungy, filthy small one room apt. we have one brother confined to his couch (by orders of older bro who appears sporadicaly) telling him to periodically drink from a gallon of what is probably soured milk while trying to break a Pac-man video game record of level 256. As time goes by he sits & ages, mostly alone, not going to an actual bathroom; somehow surviving on small scraps of disgusting food, as the game plays on in the background.