By Kyle Flynn

Provocation is a word that I feel often has a negative connotation when discussing art. However, there is nothing that makes me happier as a moviegoer than having a strong reaction, positive or negative, to a film, especially when watching it in a theater filled with moviegoers. While attending the World Premiere of Todd Rohal’s ‘Fuck My Son!’ (and this can also be said for so many of the movies Peter Kuplowsky programs in Midnight Madness over the past few years), it struck me as what a rarity it is to have an experience where so many people allow themselves to be engulfed in the vision of a creative. Moreover, an innovative vision as unique, grotesque, and bizarre as ‘Fuck My Son!’

‘Fuck My Son!’ is about the mother, whose son admittedly looks like a grotesque wart-filled man. The mother proceeds to kidnap a woman and her daughter with the intention of forcing the woman to have sexual intercourse with her son. From there, the plot shifts of course, but I can’t help but think that the movie works much better conceptually than in the execution of the project. I was unaware that it was an adaptation while watching, and from the Question and Answer, it does feel like they attempted to remain faithful where they could to the source material while making it accessible for the screen. 

The film opens with a satirical pre-show filled with AI. It’s uncanny and immediately sells you on the world that is needed to be engrossed in the movie. There is a usage of meat-based animated characters that visually do look like AI, at least partially rendered them. The artistic expression that Rohal goes to, by using AI to form something unsettling, is a purposeful and interesting choice to 

The writing, intentionally so, is on-the-nose and written in a way to explore the depths of gross-out humor and mind-melting visuals. Admittedly, I didn’t laugh outside of a few moments, and the gross-out humor never worked for me. However, I have to applaud the commitment to the theme and tone of the story and the attempts it makes to build into something more by the end. Those strong moments of dialogue that managed to make me cackle made me come out mostly positive on appreciating the attempt. You can even argue that there is a reasonably solid portrayal of grief showcased in the film, but while reflecting on it, I don’t think it connects all the way in the end for me. 

The ensemble pulls off the work required of the story to significant effect. Robert Longstreet, as the mother, Vermina, is doing excellent character work. I was impressed by the commitment shown by Steve Little and Tipper Newton. The young actor, Kynzie Colmery, is delivering another fantastic child performance in a festival that has been surprisingly filled with accomplished child performances. The visual feast that the world is built upon adds to this being sold in a way that works. The make-up on Steve Little’s face and body is outstanding, and the production of the locations used, primarily the main house, adds to the world. 

When forming my TIFF schedule, I had an inherent fear that this would be my only opportunity to watch this film because the chance of a movie like this being acquired for distribution is unlikely. I was happy to hear that starting October 17th, there will be a theatrical tour of the film. Despite the film not working for me, I was never really laughing during the movie, even questioning if it was worthwhile. With each passing minute, the value of the film became apparent, and the value of seeing a movie like this in a packed theater of weirdos (me included) will stick with me forever. Do not let my rating deter you from watching, as I can not recommend seeing an independent film in the cinema if you can.

2.5/5 stars with a heart