Vulcanizadora

I was hyped for this film. The premise was promising, and I was anxious to see what the director would do after his last film, Relaxer, which I really liked. It was on my watchlist since the announcement..

I find Potrykus vision unique and his approach to filmmaking bold. Joshua Burge always delivers truly compelling performances; he evokes a palpable level of pain and anxiety in his characters. I don't know why this guy is not in more films; I think it has something to do with Hollywood's jerk inner circle.

About the film, there is a sense of mounting tension that never quite reaches its peak. I don't know if that was the director's intention, but it did not resonate with me. I felt something was lacking. I think I was hoping for a shocking experience similar to the one I had when I ingeniously obtained the VHS tape of Faces of Death (1978) as a kid, since this film is spiritually evoked here.

I was expecting a more shocking experience and originality from an auteur filmmaker whom I appreciate.

Keep going.

I fell for the rave reviews. Im ashamed to admit that after having bought in and watching far too much of this top to bottom toothache that doesn't even pull the tooth much less offer any anesthesia.

It might even be closer to between a 4 and 5 yet somehow crazy people have either fallen in love with absolute mediocrity in every measure or this is a masterclass in paid for hype.

The characters were pointlessly unrealistic that make iconic film characters such as from clerks for contrast seem reasoned and balanced by comparison despite clearly attempting to over-humanize them through various implausible faults.

Even the well hinted at "ending" was entirely unnoticeable in any way as special or unique only serving to disconnect any meaning or message at all.

Like some kind of blair witch project on a micro scale but making all its mistakes in completely different areas.

On the other hand i made a ton of progress on my pokemon smash bros royal king clash crosswords game in the interim purgatory awaiting only the unsatisfying conclusion.

I hope i don't fall for watching anything this bad again anytime soon.

This movie subtly pulled me into its orbit.

Only now, a week later, does my affinity for this microbudget film fully manifest.

Shot in Michigan, this dark, gritty, slow-burning, two-hander, DIY, slacker-esque guerrilla film was written, directed, and acted in by Joshua Burge (Marty) and Joel Potrykus (Derrick). Do a little research on Joel P., and you'll see he's steadily carving out a name for himself among the indie ilk.

Essentially, the story follows two "good" friends, Derrick talks, Marty listens, as they embark on a journey to a predetermined place to carry out a pact they've made with each other involving a macabre act. I say "good" in quotes because ulterior motives may be at play.

Derrick doesn't exactly seem like the sharpest tool in the shed. But given the immensity of the moment and the enormity of the impending act, he may simply be out of sorts, mentally unwell, overwhelmed by stress, consumed by ticking tension and the weight of what lies ahead. Their grim task barrels toward them with seemingly no way to slow, halt, or escape it. If anything, it picks up steam the deeper they venture into the woods.

Or... maybe Derrick is just quirky and a bit slow on the uptake-a patsy, a pleaser, someone eager to call anyone a friend.

Let's address the elephant in the room: the hate for this film is palpable, off the charts. I was lucky. I went in blind, oblivious to reviews, criticisms, or the general audience reaction. Had I known, I likely would've avoided it. But I stumbled upon it on a torrent site and gave it a shot.

I get that this movie won't be everyone's cup of tea. But if you enjoy grim, dark, slow-to-develop comedy infused with a metal soundtrack (seriously, how did they secure rights to Metallica and Godsmack? That's a head-scratcher), and layered with a uniquely philosophical "what does it all mean?" approach, I think you'll be pleased.

To the haters: don't hate the project just because you hate the genre. If you must hate it, hate it based on its merits.

This is one of those films where the immediate impact isn't felt. But days later, you might find yourself suddenly immersed in a scene, ruminating on the plot's rarely discussed incident, the quiet catalyst behind the whole story. You start deconstructing seemingly meaningless dialogue, only to realize that not a sentence, or even a word, feels wasted or out of place. And just as that thought begins to fade, a subthought takes root.

Suddenly, I'm mulling over Derrick's home life, career, and hobbies, wondering if he even has any. In reflection, his endless chatter was mostly noise. He seldom spoke about anything with real substance. And yet, if you were attentive, there were furtive kernels of truth and accountability sprinkled throughout.

There were maybe two, possibly three moments when Joel (as Marty) broached the real reason behind their journey, the dark purpose of the pact. If memory serves, Marty never engaged, never responded, never even acknowledged the act they were about to commit.

After watching Vulcanizadora, I'm confident that it will all make more sense.

7.8/10.