The Greasy Strangler (2016)

Absolutely loved this movie. At the time of watching I hadn't heard much about it except it was highly rated by empire magazine. So when I watched it late at night in the dark thinking I was about to see a horror/slasher movie, I was a bit taken back when I realised it was a comedy I was watching!, And maybe it was because I was expecting a completely different type of movie but I was taken by surprise how funny it was. Now I completely understand why people don't like it, in fact I've recommended it to so many people some of which blatantly refuse to watch it and others who have, and of those who have I don't know any who did like it! It certainly is not for everyone, but for those who enjoy there humour off the wall and lines you'll be able to quote for years to come, give it a chance. And by the way after RE checking empire magazine, the movie won empires comedy of the year!!!!

What a treat it is that this film sits on my shelf, next to Vertigo & There Will Be Blood. Greasy Strangler riffs on so little, but manages to produce a film that is repetitive to the point of memorable. Every day since watching it, I have to call someone a BS artist.The pleasure of first watching this film I can compare to the first time I watched Happiness (Todd Solondz) Just when you think it's going a bit too far, it surpasses your guesses and goes further still. Detractors will say it's easy to be disgusting but let them write a script, film it, edit it and get it out there in cinemas and shops. Well done, those who made Greasy Strangler.A companion piece could be the story of how Elijah Wood and Ben Wheatley became producers for this film. I imagine the script, greasy, slipping through their letterboxes and as they read, they look around their houses, wondering if someone is playing a joke on them.

I tried describing this film to a friend. It's labeled a horror comedy, but I didn't find it scary or funny. The latter is not meant to be an insult, because there's a definite unique style that would work for some people.The most apt analogy I can make is that it's a live action Beavis and Butthead world done by the cast of Shameless. Characters that would be considered as a weird outlier in any other work seems to be par for the course here. Everything is weird, awkward, and unsettling but not in a creepy way.I rate it a 6 because after I was done watching all I could really say was "Yup. I watched that." but it's very easily either the best film you'll ever see, or one of the worst, depending on what you want from it.

I can understand the avid attraction or more correctly the morbid fascination with this "have to see" Indie. It's one hell of individual one. Something this original, you'll not see for many years. It's, if this makes sense, repulsively addictive, and we the viewer, take delight, basking in it's repulsiveness, and believe there are some, 'turn away' scenes in this vein. There are some darn funny moments, but I did expect a much funnier film, one that provokes constant laughter, if a punchier script as well. But it's a film, I know will have me re watching again, in the days to follow.. This morbid tale is of the relationship between a father, who runs faux tours of locations, where rock stars, actors, use to hang out, and his layabout, obese, wannabe comic artist/writer son, where from the first reel, nothing is left uncovered, well almost, and the movie holds nothing back. A quite plump, black woman on the tour, falls for the son, while Daddy's out getting basted, and committed strangulations, and washing off the crime at the local car wash, with the car brushes, the business run by of course, a blind black (of course) guy. The love interest, presents a threat to killer Daddy who doesn't wanna be alone, so obviously, you know where this film's story heading. The violence is stupidly shocking, a few eye popping scenes, a totally punched in head, and some other violence near the twisted ending of our nice happy tale. I think our three leads, did a great job, the father the best, while the black girl was pretty good. But he should lay off that grease and fat, as he will no doubt, end like his victims in the near future. What I love about The Greasy Strangler, where honestly, I can't give it more than a five, is that there's a style in it's repulsiveness, while being an addictive view, like crack to a movie viewer, who's seen it's preview. It's gotta be seen, at least once, where the easily shocked, are probably better off, hiring The Boston Strangler.