Relaxer (film)

Last updated
Relaxer
Relaxer poster.jpg
Directed by Joel Potrykus
Written byJoel Potrykus
Produced byAshley Young
Starring
CinematographyAdam J. Minnick
Edited byJoel Potrykus
Music by Alan Palomo
Production
companies
Distributed byOscilloscope Laboratories
Release date
  • March 9, 2018 (2018-03-09)(SXSW)
Running time
91 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Relaxer is a 2018 American comedy film written and directed by Joel Potrykus. [1] [2] It stars Joshua Burge, David Dastmalchian, Andre Hyland, Amari Cheatom, and Adina Howard. [3] Set in 1999, it tells the story of a man playing Pac-Man in a living room. [4] The film premiered at the South by Southwest on March 9, 2018. [5] At the 2018 Fantasia International Film Festival, Joshua Burge won the Best Actor award for his work in the film. [6] [7] It was released in the United States on March 22, 2019. [8]

Contents

Plot

In 1999, Cam (David Dastmalchian) gives his younger brother Abbie (Joshua Burge) an ultimate challenge. Abbie is not allowed to leave the couch until he goes beyond the level 256 of Pac-Man .

Cast

Production

The film was shot in the garage of a house owned by production designer Mike Saunders' parents. [4] It took four months to build the set. [4] The film's premise was inspired by Luis Buñuel's The Exterminating Angel . [4]

Release

The film had its premiere at the South by Southwest on March 9, 2018. [5] It was also screened at the Fantasia International Film Festival, [9] the Traverse City Film Festival, [10] and the Vancouver International Film Festival. [11] It was released in the United States on March 22, 2019. [12]

Reception

As of October 2021, the film holds a 68% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 34 reviews with an average rating of 6.8/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Relaxer is bound to strike many viewers as unpleasant, but this thoroughly unique comedy will strike a chord with fans of defiantly unsettling cinema." [13] At Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 82 out of 100, based on 7 critics, indicating "universal acclaim". [14]

Eric Kohn of IndieWire gave the film a grade of A, describing it as "a grotesque downward spiral, both hilarious and mesmerizing, but above all elevated by its insights into the depraved final gasp of the analog age." [15] Calum Marsh of The Village Voice stated that the film is "funnier, nastier, and more abrasive" than Joel Potrykus' 2014 film Buzzard . [16] Nick Allen of RogerEbert.com said, "through its precise filmmaking and whirlwind script about one loser who never gets off the couch, it's a magnetic, five-senses experience for slacker cinema." [9] John DeFore of The Hollywood Reporter said, "the claustrophobic, one-set film clearly invites metaphorical readings — but its allegories will play best to viewers who can stomach the idea of spending eternity on a couch playing Nintendo." [17] Carson Lund of Slant Magazine gave the film 3.5 stars out of 4, calling it "a showcase for [Joshua] Burge and his exceptional features, from his beady eyes to slender frame." [18]

Joshua Burge won the Best Actor award at the 2018 Fantasia International Film Festival. [6] [7]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fantasia International Film Festival</span> Canadian film festival

Fantasia International Film Festival is a genre film festival that has been based mainly in Montreal since its founding in 1996. It focuses on niche, low budget movies in various genres, from horror to sci-fi. Regularly held in July/August, by 2016 its annual audience had already surpassed 100,000 viewers and outgrown even the Montreal World Film Festival.

<i>Rubber</i> (2010 film) Film by Quentin Dupieux

Rubber is a 2010 English-language French independent horror comedy film written and directed by Quentin Dupieux. The film is about a tire that comes to life and kills people with psychokinetic powers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Safdie brothers</span> American film directors

Joshua Safdie and Benjamin Safdie are independent American filmmakers and actors based in New York City, who frequently collaborate on their films. They are best known for writing and directing the crime thriller films Good Time (2017), starring Robert Pattinson, and Uncut Gems (2019), starring Adam Sandler.

<i>One Hundred Years of Evil</i> 2010 Swedish film

One Hundred Years of Evil is a 2010 mockumentary positing the possibility that Adolf Hitler did not commit suicide at the End of World War II in Europe, in 1945. The film was directed by Erik Eger and Magnus Oliv, who also wrote the screenplay, along with Olly Blackburn and Joacim Starander. Starring actors include Jon Rekdal, Jordi Almeida, Alexander Bareis, Lucy Bermingham, Jack Frankel and Andrea Sooch.

<i>Real</i> (2013 film) 2013 Japanese film

Real is a 2013 Japanese science fiction drama film directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa, starring Takeru Satoh and Haruka Ayase. It is Kurosawa's first feature film since Tokyo Sonata (2008). It is based on Rokuro Inui's novel A Perfect Day for Plesiosaur. It was released in Japan on 1 June 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Dastmalchian</span> American actor (born 1975)

David Dastmalchian is an American actor, writer, and producer. He has had supporting roles in a number of superhero franchises: he portrayed Thomas Schiff in The Dark Knight (2008), Kurt and Veb in the Ant-Man franchise, Abra Kadabra in the CW's The Flash, and Polka-Dot Man in The Suicide Squad (2021).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joel Potrykus</span> American film director and screenwriter

Joel Potrykus is an American film director and screenwriter. His feature film debut Ape won the Best New Director prize at the 2012 Locarno Film Festival, while his follow-up feature Buzzard won the FIPRESCI Prize at the 2014 Ljubljana International Film Festival.

<i>Ape</i> (2012 film) 2012 American black comedy film

Ape is a 2012 American independent black comedy film written and directed by Joel Potrykus, starring Joshua Burge as Trevor Newandyke. The film was a precursor to Potrykus's later film, Buzzard, which also starred Burge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Lowery (director)</span> American filmmaker

David Lowery is an American filmmaker.

<i>6 Years</i> 2015 American film

6 Years is a 2015 American romantic drama film written and directed by Hannah Fidell and starring Taissa Farmiga, Ben Rosenfield, Lindsay Burdge, Joshua Leonard, Peter Vack, and Dana Wheeler-Nicholson. Filmmakers Mark and Jay Duplass served as executive producers under their Duplass Brothers Productions banner. The film depicts two weeks in the relationship of college students Melanie Clark and Dan Mercer, as their 6-year romance turns violent.

<i>Buzzard</i> (film) 2014 American black comedy film

Buzzard is a 2014 American independent black comedy film written and directed by Joel Potrykus, starring Joshua Burge as Marty Jackitansky.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Josh Cooley</span> American filmmaker (born 1979)

Joshua Cooley is an American filmmaker and storyboard artist. He is best known for directing the animated films Toy Story 4 (2019) and Transformers One (2024), with the former winning the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. He also co-wrote the screenplay for the film Inside Out (2015), which was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.

<i>A Ghost Story</i> 2017 American film

A Ghost Story is a 2017 American supernatural drama film written and directed by David Lowery and starring Casey Affleck, Rooney Mara, and Will Oldham. It is about a man who becomes a ghost and remains in the house he shared with his wife.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daniels (directors)</span> American filmmakers

Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, known collectively as the Daniels, are an American filmmaking duo. They began their career as directors of music videos, including ones for "Houdini" (2012) by Foster the People and "Turn Down for What" (2013) by DJ Snake and Lil Jon, both of which earned them nominations at the Grammy Awards.

<i>Shit Year</i> 2010 American film

Shit Year is a 2010 American experimental drama film written and directed by Cam Archer and starring Ellen Barkin. The film was screened at the Directors' Fortnight event of the 2010 Cannes Film Festival.

<i>Too Old to Die Young</i> Television series

Too Old to Die Young is an American crime drama miniseries directed by Nicolas Winding Refn, written by Refn, Ed Brubaker and Halley Gross, and starring Miles Teller and Augusto Aguilera. It premiered on Amazon on June 14, 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ari Aster</span> American filmmaker (born 1986)

Ari Aster is an American filmmaker. After garnering initial recognition for the short film The Strange Thing About the Johnsons (2011), he became best known for writing and directing Hereditary (2018), Midsommar (2019), and Beau Is Afraid (2023), all of which were released by A24. His films have been noted for their unsettling combination of horror, dark comedy, and depictions of graphic violence. He co-founded the production company Square Peg with Danish producer Lars Knudsen in 2018.

Kaitlyn Helena Howard is an American actress. After being discovered by director Josephine Decker at age 15, she made her film debut in the drama film Madeline's Madeline (2018), which IndieWire named as one of the 50 best performances of the 2010s and The New Yorker listed as the second-best film performance of the 21st century.

<i>Vulcanizadora</i> Film by Joel Potrykus

Vulcanizadora is a 2024 American black comedy thriller film edited, written, directed, and starring Joel Potrykus. Calling it his "most personal and bleakest work", the film follows two friends, played by Potrykus and Joshua Burge, who travel into the Michigan woods for a dark mission that goes awry. Bill Vincent and Solo Potrykus also star. It premiered at the 2024 Tribeca Film Festival.

Joshua Burge is an American actor and musician recognized for his work in independent cinema.

References

  1. ↑ "Summer Movies 2018: Here's What's Coming Soon to Theaters". The New York Times . May 4, 2018. Archived from the original on September 27, 2018. Retrieved October 9, 2018.
  2. ↑ "Relaxer". Sydney Underground Film Festival 2018. Retrieved October 9, 2018.
  3. ↑ Thiessen, Brock (February 7, 2018). "Neon Indian Returns to Contribute Music to New Film 'Relaxer'". Exclaim! . Archived from the original on October 15, 2018. Retrieved August 17, 2018.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Kohn, Eric (June 27, 2018). "Joel Potrykus Passed on Directing a Sequel to 'Project X' to Make a Wacky Y2K Movie in a Garage". IndieWire . Archived from the original on June 27, 2018. Retrieved August 17, 2018.
  5. 1 2 "Relaxer". South by Southwest . Retrieved August 17, 2018.
  6. 1 2 "Fantasia 2018 Announces Award Winners!". Fantasia International Film Festival . July 24, 2018. Archived from the original on August 5, 2018. Retrieved August 17, 2018.
  7. 1 2 Sherman, Jenn (July 24, 2018). "'Dans La Brume', 'Cam' among award winners at Fantasia 2018". Screen International . Retrieved August 17, 2018.
  8. ↑ Crust, Kevin; Cooper, Matthew (January 11, 2019). "Winter movie preview: 'Captain Marvel,' 'Miss Bala,' 'Dumbo' and nearly 200 more new releases". Los Angeles Times . Archived from the original on January 13, 2019. Retrieved January 17, 2019.
  9. 1 2 Allen, Nick (July 18, 2018). "Fantasia 2018: Relaxer, Mega Time Squad, Room Laundering". RogerEbert.com . Archived from the original on August 29, 2018. Retrieved August 17, 2018.
  10. ↑ Sharf, Zack (June 29, 2018). "Traverse City Film Festival 2018 Lineup: Michael Moore Brings 'RBG,' 'Support the Girls,' and More to Michigan". IndieWire . Retrieved March 12, 2019.
  11. ↑ Mack, Adrian (September 29, 2018). "Mangoshake, Pac-Man, and the glorious weirdos of VIFF". The Georgia Straight . Archived from the original on November 9, 2018. Retrieved March 12, 2019.
  12. ↑ Colburn, Randall (March 8, 2019). "A Pac-Man marathon devolves into an existential hell in the Relaxer trailer". The A.V. Club . Retrieved March 12, 2019.
  13. ↑ "Relaxer". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango. Archived from the original on March 27, 2018. Retrieved October 30, 2021.
  14. ↑ "Relaxer". Metacritic . Archived from the original on March 24, 2018. Retrieved March 29, 2019.
  15. ↑ Kohn, Eric (March 9, 2018). "Milk Vomit and 'Pac Man': Joel Potrykus' 'Relaxer' Is a Masterpiece of Depraved '90s Nostalgia — SXSW 2018 Review". IndieWire . Archived from the original on August 16, 2018. Retrieved August 17, 2018.
  16. ↑ Marsh, Calum (June 18, 2018). "BAMcinemaFest Asserts Itself — Once Again — as a Wellspring of Risk and Discovery". The Village Voice . Archived from the original on June 18, 2018. Retrieved August 17, 2018.
  17. ↑ DeFore, John (March 9, 2018). "'Relaxer': Film Review | SXSW 2018". The Hollywood Reporter . Archived from the original on March 27, 2018. Retrieved August 17, 2018.
  18. ↑ Lund, Carson (June 28, 2018). "Relaxer". Slant Magazine . Retrieved August 17, 2018.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.