Society (1989)
7/10
Unlike anything you've seen before
23 December 2016
Warning: Spoilers
A well-paced and utterly bizarre horror film with plenty of black comedy and a finale which is unforgettable once seen, this is probably Brian Yuzna's most controversial movie and one of his best along with it. It's certainly unlike any other movie I've seen and therefore deserves points for originality. The film starts off like a typical conspiracy thriller as our young lead Billy Warlock starts to discover some unpleasant things about his family. So far, so good, you might think, but then things become a little weirder as bizarre sex acts are hinted at and Warlock witnesses people twisting their bodies into impossible positions. The suspense thickens and the plot becomes taut as people begin to die and Warlock finds himself mixed up in a far-reaching plot and then WHAM!, Yuzna hits you with an utterly disgusting - yet fascinating - finale which is unlike anything ever before witnessed on film.

Although this film is awash with mucus, slime, and perverted sexual situations, the heady helping of dark comedy stops it from being too overwhelming and keeps it entertaining and hilarious in parts. Special effects genius Screaming Mad George contributes probably his finest effects work to date with the "shunting party" at the film's close, which has some graphically nasty gore but mostly just plain yuckiness to recommend it, an extended sequence so surreal that I'm sure Salvadore Dali would be impressed if he was alive to see it. Billy Warlock rises above his BAYWATCH heritage and proves to be a likable male lead and the rest of the supporting cast put in commendably straight performances, up until the end that is when everything takes a bizarre comedic turn for the worse. Utterly watchable and quite unique, this stands true as a pinnacle of cinematic weirdness that hasn't really been matched since in terms of vision and imagination.
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