Review of Wuss (2011) by Matthew S — 02 Jun 2015

Clay Liford's WUSS sets us up. The movie begins as if we are about to watch a crass spoof an all too familiar genre. Just as we think we know exactly what we are in for he quiet cleverly catches us off-guard for where he and his gifted cast lead us.

While Liford touches a number of familiar genres, he is not content in fully committing to any of them. In many a writer / director hands this would lead to a banal and unfocused film. But this writer / director has found an effective way to push us into some of our culture's darkest challenges.

WUSS is at times funny, unsettling, menacing, crude, confrontational, provocative and tragic. At no time did any aspect of this movie feel false. And, at no time was I not entertained. The only errors to be found are in the way the movie has been "marketed" and titled.

There is so much more going on in this movie than you suspect.