Okay, this is an odd one. But it’s also a pleasant ride. Colin Thompson wrote and directed and (this is the weird part) stars as almost all the characters in the film. At first it’s confusing. Do all the actors look somewhat alike? Then you realize they are all the same guy in wigs and disguises. That is, except one goofy kid named Briggs (Russell Posner), and that’s because the main character Kevin is tripping on mushrooms and remembering back to a particular night with Briggs, back in 1999 when they and another high school buddy did ‘shrooms and had a ton of fun. There’s definitely a lot of adolescent behavior, but it’s sweet and silly and shot in a wonderfully creative manner that will keep you watching.
Sometime between that night and the beginning of the film in present time, Briggs died. And every year Kevin heads out into the wilderness on his “death day” to trip and remember him. And this time his visions are all about that night. It was their first experience with mushrooms and they pretty much drift from Kevin’s basement to a house party to mom’s house and then home, ducking parents’ questions, fending off the attentions of a friend’s an amorous mother, and laughing at everything. There’s a B-story about Kevin’s parents’ divorce and his sister’s antipathy towards mom, but somehow all the threads come together by the end and all is right with the world.
There is a lot of visual whimsy that’s part of the boys’ trip and it’s perfect for those moments, very raw and wild. And Colin Thompson deserves huge props for taking on all those characters and nailing most of them. There are a few scenes with other actors in the roles, and those are fun, though not entirely necessary. I’d have said this was not my sort of movie, but I really enjoyed it. Check it out for yourself and just go with it.
AVAILABLE ON VOD NOVEMBER 17th.
Watch the trailer and then below is another video with the actor/writer/director talking about making this movie. It’s fun, too.