Tusk is actually a 2014 American comedy horror movie written and directed by Kevin Smith, based on a story from his own podcast. It is a creepy movie. The movie stars Michael Parks, Justin Long, Haley Joel Osment, and Genesis Rodriguez. The film is the first in Smith’s planned True North trilogy, followed by Yoga Hosers in the year 2016.
Tusk had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. It was Smith’s first major wide release since Cop Out in the year 2010. Little early alert for those who want to see this, the horror part is very gruesome and dark, not unlike The Human Centipede but with some supposed comic relief from time to time. So scary to watch.
What ‘Tusk’ Is About
Best friends Wallace Bryton and Teddy Craft host the popular podcast The Not-See Party, where they find and mock humiliating viral videos. Wallace flies to Canada to interview Kill Bill Kid, an Internet celebrity famous for severing his leg with a katana. Upon arriving in Manitoba, he is surprised to learn that Kill Bill Kid committed suicide. Upset that he flew to Canada for nothing, he decides to find another person to interview. He finds a handbill from someone offering a room in his home for free and the guarantee of hearing interesting stories.
Intrigued, he arrives at the mansion of Howard Howe, a retired seaman in a wheelchair. Howard tells the story of how a walrus, whom he named “Mr. Tusk”, rescued him after a shipwreck. Wallace passes out from the secobarbital laced in the tea Howard made for him. The next morning, Wallace wakes up to find himself strapped into a wheelchair and his left leg amputated. Howard reveals that he can still walk and lays out his plans, he plans to fit Wallace into a perfectly constructed walrus costume in an attempt to recreate Mr. Tusk. After Wallace sends a voicemail to his girlfriend, Howard knocks him unconscious. Howard conditions him to think and act like a walrus.
What Can Be Said About ‘Tusk’
The movie gets crazier by the minute and offered some chillingly weird scenes that gave people who watch it goosebumps. Personally, the acting was good, as people would not notice if actors do anything wrong, as long as they look like they are playing the character, and it had good effects and costume design. The story was trippy, and the ending was kind of odd, but as a horror fan, it did a good job of giving me something to see.
The movie did a great job at implementing an overall ridiculously funny plot while still tugging on the classic horror movie feels. People could be laughing but also cringing at the main character’s miss fortunes. Definitely, a hard movie to sum up but if you’re looking for a few laughs while also feeling horrified give this movie a shot.
Sources: YouTube A24.