Flux Gourmet (2022)
#MRFLIXTER
Flux Gourmet is an all-new Shudder exclusive film. According to the streaming service, the horror/comedy is about "A dysfunctional sonic collective – a band devoted to the sounds of the culinary arts – navigates rivalries internal and external in this absurdly original feast for the senses." I was giving a screener by the streaming service themselves. This is my SPOILER-FREE REVIEW. Is this film a delightfully delectable delicacy or is it just junk food for thought?
The narrator is Makis Papadimitriou as Stones, a French writer documenting the life of the residents at the school. His problem is he's plagued with gastrointestinal problems like excessive explosive flatulence which ties into things throughout. Everything is discovered through him as he interviews and observes these people. The rivalries quickly escalate culminating in flaring tempers with lines in the sand being drawn.
Written and directed by Peter Strickland, it's full of enticing visuals utilizing various coloured lights and assorted camera movements. The whole film has an avant-garde feel to it. The script is full of quirky, offbeat humour that's heavily dialogue driven. Having said that, I didn't find the characters engaging. Over time I cared less about the inner workings of their personal lives the more I learned about them. It's severely lacking in the horror elements hindering my enjoyment of the experience too. Perhaps another draft of the script could have condensed backstories into a more digestible format. This could have made things easier to swallow. Long periods go by where little to nothing happens so those parts could have been trimmed or edited out completely and it wouldn't affect the film.
Fatma Mohamed plays Elle di Elle, the uncompromising, provocative, strong-willed extrovert dedicated to her craft. She's the highlight of the picture. She's a tortured artist using her pain to fuel her strength to overcome obstacles. Her snarky performance carries the film as she's the most interesting of the group.
Asa Butterfield plays Billy Rubin. He was sent to an expensive etiquette school but that wasn't a world he understood. He yearns for more searching for a purpose in life. He joined the collective looking for artistic integrity. Despite the distracting wig he wears, he gives a good performance as the outcast trying to find somewhere he belongs.
Gwendoline Christie plays Jan Stevens, the institute’s director. Most of the film centres on the conflict between her and Elle. As they argue, the tension grows with almost every encounter. Her performance excellently captures the struggles of being in charge of the facility.
Ariane Labed plays Lamina Propria. She goes to school because of her mother. It's told through dialogue how her toxic attitude toward a woman's work ethic in the kitchen affected the love lives of both her and her brother. She has a complicated past with Elle to further confound matters. She's good at portraying a strong woman in pursuit of happiness.
Overall, I don't think it's a delightfully delectable delicacy but rather it's more like junk food for thought. There isn't much of a plot. It's set up in more of a day-in-the-life sort of way. It's a character study with themes of trust, loyalty, betrayal, self-expression, resilience and discovery. I didn't find it particularly funny nor did I find myself invested in the characters, however, the visuals are stunning. I would recommend this for it's artistic merits. Just because I didn't like it doesn't mean others won't. I appreciate Shudder sending me a screener to review the film. Thank you for making the review possible. And remember, too many cooks spoil the broth but the truth is even harder to swallow.
Grade: Medium Popcorn
