Tony Thompson (Bill Hutchens) and Kacy Knight (Josephine Scandi) are a loving pair of seasoned hippies holding tight to their 1970s good old days. The two have become obsessed with locating an old friend, who, as indicated by some faithful clues, seems to have not only gone through life without aging but also survived several extravagant deaths. Documenting their quest, the aging vegans investigate the old chum’s whereabouts, uncovering several lifetimes worth of interesting associates and extreme events. When they finally reunite with the immortal Joe (Brutius Selby), it becomes apparent that he would like nothing more than to finally rest for good. The kind duo will do anything to help a friend and possibly gain some extra life themselves.
With the destination that is hard to pin down, Can't Kill This is a road trip through odd feel-good vibes, dark comedy, and slapstick gore. The tale is loads of fun, but there is a dark liner that is a little beyond its morbid central theme. From the beginning, the delivery is warm, natural and in line with the format. The tone makes a bridge between realistic, cartoon, and irreverent. Going in, I assumed it would be a satirical take on horror tropes, something along the lines of Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon (2006) or even Creep (2014). I love both of those films but was pleasantly surprised that it stands on its own and holds just as much in common with mockumentaries from Christopher Guest & Co. It could easily be a demented road-movie cousin to Best in Show (2000) with an extra dose of LSD and practical gore.
It's not a scary flick, and only "boops" horror on the nose at times, but genre fans can find hidden callbacks thrown out along the trail. The personalities the couple meets along their trip, are memorably out-there and come with a textbook’s worth of canon all their own. I could happily watch a whole movie following “The Bear Raper”s (Sean James Sutton) life as he describes his past exploits. Some subtle sadness slips in every so often and easily blends with darker humor. While the events and roles on screen are goofy and entertaining, the mood moves into bleak without a pause. This makes it as tricky as it is relatable. It's almost always funny but with extra meat to chew on, and not just because the joke revolves around a dude that has been "killed" several times.
Our main characters, played by Bill Hutchens and Josephine Scandi, have amazing chemistry and are endearing even when the small cracks show in their motivation. Hutchens has the approach of a zany neighbor who would share his red-bud indiscriminately as long as someone was down to hear his life story. The actor fits the role on several levels, and his character comes out completely lived-in. Scandi is a little more nuanced as she doesn't wear her entire personality on her sleeve like her partner. She and the writing fill out a character whose best moments are partially obscured. She gets better with repeat viewing, and I caught some of her funniest moments only on my second watch through. The tired Joe breaks the more lively insanity with tragic calm. It's almost non-acting on Brutius Selby’s part, in a good way, and his character's lack of interest in a world of eccentrics is fittingly weathered.
Can't Kill This (aka Fuck You Immortality) is a steady stream of bloodsoaked laughs with some surprising undertones and awkward authenticity. I enjoyed myself, but have no desire to live forever. I'm pretty much ready for death after a single workday.
1h 21min | 2019
Director: Federico Scargiali
Writer: Federico Scargiali
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