Australian director David Michôd, whose last film was 2019’s “The King,” is back in the crime genre, although it doesn’t seem to resemble his “Animal Kingdom” one bit, rather, it’s a pitch black stoner comedy. It also sounds very extreme.
A few weeks ago, I had posted a reaction for Michôd and A24’s stoner comedy “Wizards!” The person who watched it was thoroughly repulsed by it. Supposedly, there’s a shit-eating scene that will have many people talking.
“Wizards!” (exclamation mark included) follows Pete Davidson and Franz Rogowski as two pothead beach-bar operators who find a bag of stolen money. Their attempts to keep the money a secret start to unravel as the plot gets knottier.
Here’s another reaction, and this one’s positive!
I actually enjoyed this movie. It's not perfect, but it's very funny and after a slow start, the crowd was engaged and laughing throughout.
Franz Rogowski is the clear standout. He is hilarious as a "go with the flow" very dim German model. His line deliveries easily got the most laughs. Second is Sean Harris, playing a kookier Ben Kingsley in Sexy Beast. He is both weird and terrifying. Davidson is more uneven: some of his deliveries and reaction shots work and some don't.
I don't think A24 is worried about losing money on this, since it clearly didn't cost much.
The shit eating scene is very real and even though I knew it was coming, it still worked within the plot mechanics surprisingly well. People were both audibly grossed out and laughing the entire time -- two people walked out when it began. Pete Davidson's presence within what will be a notorious scene can possibly elevate it beyond what would otherwise be a small, curious A24 release. It has potential.
“Wizards!” might very well be skipping the fall festivals. I was told “SXSW makes the most sense,” which means it might only be premiering next March.
Michôd writes and directs “Wizards!” His past directing credits include “Animal Kingdom,” “The Rover” and “War Machine.” None other than Joel Edgerton gets a story credit here. As mentioned, A24 is handling the film.
I say, just premiere the damn thing at TIFF, in the Midnight Madness sidebar. It sounds deranged enough to elicit a positive response from that particular audience.
Still no distributor for "Bucking Fastard," "Alpha Gang," "The Last Photograph," "Closing Night," and "The Life and Deaths of Wilson Shedd." The issue seems to be quality more than a lack of willingness to buy.