Review of Rubber (2010) by Brian C — 13 Apr 2012

It's about a tire. A tire that blows stuff up. With its mind. Still with me?

One of the strangest movies I've ever seen. The tire rolls around, killing anyone it wants to. Everyone thinks it's a serial killer, until they see the tire kill. Everyone, that is, except for the audience.

That's maybe the oddest thing: the point of view. You, the audience, in addition to watching the tire, are watching an audience of people who are watching the tire through binoculars. Still with me? So, the audience is watching an audience who is watching a murdering tire, who blows stuff up with its mind. If you're lost, that's understandable.

SPOILERS AHEAD.

The audience you're watching doesn't just watch, they provide commentary as well. Later, too, one audience member even gets involved in the movie in a very funny scene. He's the only audience member left, after the rest eat a poisoned turkey. Anyway, being in a wheelchair, he wheels himself down to where the cops are trying to kill the tire. The cops tried (unsuccessfully) to trick the tire into blowing himself up by strapping a mannequin with dynamite. The tire rolls toward the cops, then sees the audience member sitting near him. The tire turns towards him, and he says, "Wait, wait. I'm not a character. I'm just watching." The tire then blows him up. The movie makes fun of itself and it's own insane premise frequently, and it's funny how stupid it is.

Did I mention that the tire doesn't die? After the tire doesn't get blown up by the dynamite, the cop grabs his shotgun and shoots it until it's just a strip of rubber. It's dead, until you see a tricycle emerge from the house that the tire was in. Another funny line: "It's not dead! It reincarnated into a tricycle!!" The final scene is of the tricycle rolling down the road with a gang of tires trailing behind.