Review of Naked Lunch (1991) by Jessiah K — 12 Aug 2013

David Cronenberg's Naked Lunch is one of the more surreal film experiences I've had as of late. It was based on the writings of William S. Burroughs, including the original novel, but Cronenberg uses the opportunity to delve into his usual disturbing and interesting imagery, while at the same time exploring a noirish tale about a man and his drug addiction: bug dust and his typewriter.

We're taken down avenues of nightmare imagery and one character after another as Peter Weller's character attempts to write something and struggle to keep his sanity. While I didn't find it to be one of Cronenberg's best works, I really enjoyed the surrealistic nature to the film, and I liked the lead character.

He's sort of a prototypical Hunter S. Thompson character in a lot of ways, but more grounded in the "reality" around him. The performances are very good, but the film felt a bit too long for its own good.

Still, I admire its audacity.