Animated Horror Film ‘The Weird Kids’ is A Pitch Perfect Throwback to the YA Cinema of the ‘80s [Review]
Tyler Doupe'
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Let’s cut to the chase. I loved this movie. The Weird Kidz captures the spirit of films like The Goonies and The Gate, while delivering a wholly original narrative that’s filled to the brim with bathroom humor and dick jokes. This irreverent effort is likely to appeal to anyone that grew up on ‘80s movies with a soft spot for the output of that iconic time period.
The Weird Kidz sees a 12-year-old Dug (Tess Passero), his friends, and their beloved dog Grumbles setting out on a camping trip alongside older brother Wyatt (Ellar Coltrane) and his lady friend Mary (Sydney Wharton). The trip starts out fairly routine. But when a bloodthirsty bug of massive proportions arrives on the scene, the teenage cast must dig deep and rely on inner strength they didn’t know they possessed.
One of the greatest strengths of The Weird Kidz is its strange sense of humor. One especially memorable exchange sees older brother Wyatt bringing a cringeworthy demo tape he recorded on the trip. And while listening to the awful lyrics is comical, in and of itself, it’s the repeated callbacks that make it even funnier. The cumulative effect of seeing the tape pop up repeatedly becomes endearing and quite humorous.
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The flick also delivers some choice dialogue. One of my favorite exchanges sees Wyatt growing exasperated and shouting at his younger brother “Your scrote friends shot me in the taint with a BB gun.” That, in and of itself, is funny and silly. But perhaps even more amusing than the dialogue is the way the characters take absolutely outrageous situations like that in stride. The film is really a collection of outlandish occurrences. But one almost becomes desensitized to how bizarre said occurrences are because the characters just keep trucking along. And that nonchalance makes the comedy that much more effective.
Also impressive is the way the characters capture the essence of early adolescence circa the ‘80s and ‘90s. Their stories are relayed in a way that feels authentic and relatable and they feel like real people. That’s a tough conceit for a live-action feature and even tougher for animated fare. But writer/director/sole animator Zach Passero manages to pull it off. The film unironically taps into that magical time before the harsh realities of real life have set in.
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The thoughtful characterizations extend beyond the human cast. Even Grumbles (the dog) is brimming with personality. Grumbles rides or dies for his people and lends a hand when called upon to do so. In spite of being a tertiary character with no dialogue, Grumbles is a memorable addition to the proceedings.
In addition to being surprisingly sincere, The Weird Kidz is also clever and unpredictable. When I saw that the story was following kids on a camping trip in the woods, I fully expected to see them run afoul of a man in a mask. But as matters unfold, the antagonist is revealed to be a giant, bug-like creature, making this animated effort far more impressive than it likely would have been if the narrative had followed a more traveled path.
Unexpected antagonist aside, the film also surprised me with several of the major plot points beyond the monster. I’ll stop there to avoid giving anything away. But suffice to say The Weird Kidz is an entertaining coming-of-age story that subverts expectations, serving as a ridiculously good time that is as entertaining as it is endearing.
My only minor critique is that the animation is a little rough around the edges. But that didn’t matter to me. The real magic is in the narrative. Moreover, the fact that the entire film was drawn by one man is awe-inspiring. Passero put his blood, sweat, and tears into this impressive outing and I couldn’t be more impressed with how it all came together. The Weird Kidz is undeniably fun and it left me with a big smile on my face. I loved it.
The Weird Kidz recently made its world premiere at the Brooklyn Horror Film Festival. Stay tuned to Dread for more details regarding distribution as we learn them.
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The Weird Kidz
Summary
The Weird Kidz is funny, sincere, and nostalgic. Anyone that grew up on ‘80s genre cinema is likely to enjoy this outlandish effort.
