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''Relaxer'' is a 2018 American
comedy film The comedy film is a film genre that emphasizes humor. These films are designed to amuse audiences and make them laugh. Films in this genre typically have a happy ending, with dark comedy being an exception to this rule. Comedy is one of the o ...
written and directed by Joel Potrykus. It stars Joshua Burge,
David Dastmalchian David Dastmalchian ( ; born July 21, 1977) 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 franc ...
, Andre Hyland, Amari Cheatom, and
Adina Howard Adina Marie Howard (born November 14, 1973) is an American singer and songwriter. She rose to fame during the mid-1990s with her debut album, ''Do You Wanna Ride?'' and her debut single, "Freak like Me". Some of her other minor hit record, hits ...
. Set in 1999, it tells the story of a man playing ''
Pac-Man ''Pac-Man,'' originally called in Japan, is a 1980 maze video game developed and published by Namco for arcades. In North America, the game was released by Midway Manufacturing as part of its licensing agreement with Namco America. The pla ...
'' in a living room. The film premiered at the
South by Southwest South by Southwest (SXSW) is an annual conglomeration of parallel film, interactive media, and music festivals and Convention (meeting), conferences organized jointly that take place in mid-March in Austin, Texas. It began in 1987 and has conti ...
on March 9, 2018, and Burge won the Best Actor award at the 2018
Fantasia International Film Festival Fantasia International Film Festival, also known as Fantasia Fest or simply Fantasia, is a genre film festival that has been based mainly in Montreal since its founding in 1996. It focuses on fantasy, horror, sci-fi and cult genre films. Regular ...
. The film was released in the United States on March 22, 2019.


Plot

In 1999, Cam (
David Dastmalchian David Dastmalchian ( ; born July 21, 1977) 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 franc ...
) gives his younger brother Abbie (Joshua Burge) an ultimate challenge. Abbie is not allowed to leave the couch until he goes beyond level 256 of ''
Pac-Man ''Pac-Man,'' originally called in Japan, is a 1980 maze video game developed and published by Namco for arcades. In North America, the game was released by Midway Manufacturing as part of its licensing agreement with Namco America. The pla ...
''. Along his journey to beat the game before Y2K hits, many people come in. After he finally beats the level, his 3D sunglasses glow and a bright version of the level flashes behind him on the wall ater said in the movie by Abbie that it reminded him of a family memory about their father saying a bright light shining through a car window was a smaller version of a nuclear bomband Y2K finally hits but, he's stuck on the couch due to being frozen on and being on it for months. Possible years pass as Abbie just sleeps. He's woken up by Cam's friend, and, after Cam screams at him, Abbie slowly rips himself from the couch and uses telekinesis to blow up his head before grabbing a knife while giggling and saying "Take it."


Cast

* Joshua Burge as Abbie *
David Dastmalchian David Dastmalchian ( ; born July 21, 1977) 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 franc ...
as Cam * Andre Hyland as Dallas * Amari Cheatom as Cortez *
Adina Howard Adina Marie Howard (born November 14, 1973) is an American singer and songwriter. She rose to fame during the mid-1990s with her debut album, ''Do You Wanna Ride?'' and her debut single, "Freak like Me". Some of her other minor hit record, hits ...
as Arin


Production

The film was shot in the garage of a house owned by production designer Mike Saunders' parents. It took four months to build the set. The film's premise was inspired by
Luis Buñuel Luis Buñuel Portolés (; 22 February 1900 – 29 July 1983) was a Spanish and Mexican filmmaker who worked in France, Mexico and Spain. He has been widely considered by many film critics, historians and directors to be one of the greatest and ...
's ''
The Exterminating Angel ''The Exterminating Angel'' () is a 1962 Mexican surrealism, surrealist black comedy film written and directed by Luis Buñuel. Starring Silvia Pinal and produced by Pinal's then-husband Gustavo Alatriste, the film tells the story of a group of ...
''.


Release

The film had its premiere at the
South by Southwest South by Southwest (SXSW) is an annual conglomeration of parallel film, interactive media, and music festivals and Convention (meeting), conferences organized jointly that take place in mid-March in Austin, Texas. It began in 1987 and has conti ...
on March 9, 2018. It also screened at the
Fantasia International Film Festival Fantasia International Film Festival, also known as Fantasia Fest or simply Fantasia, is a genre film festival that has been based mainly in Montreal since its founding in 1996. It focuses on fantasy, horror, sci-fi and cult genre films. Regular ...
, the
Traverse City Film Festival The Traverse City Film Festival was an annual film festival held at the end of July in Traverse City, Michigan. The festival was created as an annual event in 2005 to help “save one of America's few indigenous art forms—the cinema". The event ...
, and the
Vancouver International Film Festival The Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF) is an annual film festival held in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, for two weeks in late September and early October. The festival is operated by the Greater Vancouver International Film Festi ...
. It was released in the United States on March 22, 2019.


Reception

, the film holds approval rating on
Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review aggregator, review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee ...
, based on reviews with an average rating of . 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." At
Metacritic Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...
, the film has a weighted average score of 82 out of 100, based on 7 critics, indicating "universal acclaim". 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." Calum Marsh of ''
The Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture publication based in Greenwich Village, New York City, known for being the country's first Alternative newspaper, alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf (publisher), Dan Wolf, ...
'' stated that the film is "funnier, nastier, and more abrasive" than Joel Potrykus' 2014 film ''
Buzzard Buzzard is the common name of several species of birds of prey. ''Buteo'' species * Archer's buzzard (''Buteo archeri'') * Augur buzzard (''Buteo augur'') * Broad-winged hawk (''Buteo platypterus'') * Common buzzard (''Buteo buteo'') * Easte ...
''. Nick Allen of ''
RogerEbert.com ''RogerEbert.com'' is an American film review website that archives reviews written by film critic Roger Ebert for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' and also shares other critics' reviews and essays. The website, underwritten by the ''Chicago Sun-Times ...
'' 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." John DeFore of ''
The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...
'' 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." Carson Lund of ''
Slant Magazine ''Slant Magazine'' is an American online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New Yor ...
'' gave the film 3.5 stars out of 4, calling it "a showcase for oshuaBurge and his exceptional features, from his beady eyes to slender frame."


References


External links

* * {{Pac-Man 2018 films American comedy films Films directed by Joel Potrykus Films set in 1999 Films set in Michigan Films shot in Michigan Magic realism films 2010s English-language films 2010s American films