Review of The Greasy Strangler (2016) by Keith C — 02 Jan 2017

Sometimes that bizarre little movie comes along that completely baffles you but then you find yourself not being able to take your eyes off of it. That movie, my friends, is The Greasy Strangler. There's definitely a Tim & Eric/John Waters influence here, and if you dislike either of those things then you'll want to stay far away from this movie. Fortunately for me, I love Tim & Eric and John Waters so this worked just fine.

For a movie like this, the humor mainly stems from the awkward delivery of the lines by the actors as well as the overall absurd situations being taken super seriously. Much like Tim & Eric, the actors used aren't your typical Hollywood types. These are people that you might find on a public access religious themed talk show at 4:00 AM. In other words, never in any normal TV or movie capacity whatsoever. Their average looks and "poor" delivery of lines is what makes them so endearing however. It's strange but you want to keep watching. It's just so bizarre that you end up laughing at the whole thing.

There is a major problem with this movie however and that is its aimlessness. Because there's not a whole lot in terms of plot, the movie mainly rests on the shoulders of the actors and its style. And while I did thoroughly enjoy watching these actors, the movie does start to lose steam around the last third and it becomes somewhat dull. The gross out humor especially plays into this as well. The first time you see Big Ronnie's shriveled up prosthetic penis it's shockingly hilarious. By the sixth time however, it starts to lose its comedic value.

With that said, this is such a strange and original concept with a surprisingly charming cast that it becomes worth seeing.