Tusk (2014) | Movie Review

Have you ever looked at the state of cinema today and thought, ‘You know what we need? We need more movies that literally and horrifically turn innocent people into marine mammals’? Kevin Smith has, and in turn, he has now given us Tusk.

Before you roll your eyes thinking I mean this figuratively and misunderstand the very definition of literally – No. Smith LITERALLY turns Mr. Justin Long into an actual walrus. How does a director of such cult comedy classics as Clerks and Chasing Amy end up amputating body parts and creating this bizarre mish-mash of genres? We’ll get there.

Justin Long stars as Wallace Bryton, a fairly douchey yet popular podcaster for the show Not-See Party (insert yuck-yuck here). The premise for Wallace’s show is simple: He ventures to various locations in search of absurdities and then returns to mock them incessantly on-air with his co-host / best friend Teddy (Haley Joel Osment, yes, THAT Osment).

When a trip to Canada fails to pan out, Wallace follows a random letter posted on a bar bulletin board to an isolated elderly man by the name of Howard Howe (Michael Parks), with promises of exciting tales to come. This is where the film begins its descent into horror as Howe kidnaps Wallace and begins transforming him into the best friend he has ever known, his personal savior / walrus that Howe affectionately refers to as Mr. Tusk.

At the same time, Wallace’s girlfriend Ally (Genesis Rodriguez) and Teddy begin a personal search for Wallace that brings them together with rogue detective Guy Lapointe (portrayed by an actor who will not be spoiled here) on the hunt for a serial killer.

Does any of this random insanity work? Surprisingly, most of it actually does. The first two-thirds of Tusk is arguably the best film Kevin Smith has both written or directed. The dialogue feels more natural and distinctly menacing, he commands the camera like an auteur, and the performances from all involved are especially strong for this genre (Parks, Lapointe, and Rodriguez especially are all revelations). Then the last act of Tusk hits and the film spends the final 40 minutes snowballing down movie-mountain, mindlessly chasing its own tone. Is it horror? Is it a goofy comedy? Did anyone else notice Wallace sounds just like…Walrus?!

You have to give Kevin Smith credit for following this idea through, no matter the outcome. Most films with this setup would keep going down the path of Misery and refuse to commit to its overlying idea – that a lunatic truly wants to, and DOES, recreate his most cherished yet painful memory by mutilating the film’s lead actor. Smith commits. Hell, he even throws fish at his commitment. To make a storyline this bat-shit crazy work, there needs to be an accomplished director at hand, which Smith finally (after 20 years of static shots) lives up to the challenge. His writing has never been tighter nor his direction more on par with his peers. Then the final act happens and giggling begins to outweigh the intended shock-and-awe.

For those unaware of Tusk prior to its release, the concept for the movie stems from Smith’s own Smodcast, a podcast where he and co-host Scott Mosier pontificate over random ideas and thus the idea of Tusk was sprung (stay through the credits to hear bits from the initial episode). As a longtime podcaster, I both appreciate and respect Smith’s assertion that this verbal riffing can lead to full-length feature film. It is a ridiculous idea, but one that almost works until that final reel where Smith lets his previously firm grasp slip ever so slightly.

From too many glances at Wallrus (you’re welcome) in the overtly-cheesy walrus suit, to the WAY too convenient discovery of our elusive serial killer (Wallace might as well have left GPS coordinates as quickly as they piece this together), this third act viciously jumps the rails. The final five minutes especially, which could have been powerful for a film like this, misses its beat entirely by introducing a theme last-minute that should have been launched from the start, thereby losing its intended impact completely. These small choices are what ultimately hurt the story of Mr. Tusk and friends, as the film stood right on the cusp of becoming an instant cult-classic.

If you are looking for an absurd yet original horror-comedy, Tusk mostly fills this void. The performances are all top-notch and, even though the last act spirals out of control a bit, the story is consistently engaging throughout. While this might not be Kevin Smith’s best work, it is by far the strongest direction from his storied career and all of the words I could muster would still not do the film’s story justice. Tusk demands to be seen to be believed.

Starring Justin Long, Michael Parks, Genesis Rodriguez, Haley Joel Osment
Written by Kevin Smith
Directed by Kevin Smith

Aaron Peterson
The Hollywood Outsider