Tusk

It seems to me that Kevin Smith INTENTIONALLY tried to make this film so that it could not be physically tolerated. First, we have a crazy and perverted wtf story reminiscent of The Human Centipede, dominated by a repulsive walrus costume and the disturbing thought of a painful transformation. It’s a story that is completely demented from the very beginning, but at the same time wants to give the audience a sort of deep message (see the last scene). Then there are the excessively long dialogues about nothing, desperately unfunny jokes uttered with the greatest awkwardness, nonlinear storytelling disturbing the viewer’s attention, indecisive genre balancing on the edge between bad horror and lousy comedy, absolutely horrible acting by Johnny Depp... There is so much of it and to such an extreme extent that it simply could not be a coincidence, and given the director's experience, or even non-art, so I suspect that Smith wanted it to be this way intentionally. He apparently succeeded. But that does not mean that I appreciate his intentions. (22.09.2015)

Another wild ride from Kevin Smith, who, let's be honest, has a knack for serving up absolute lunacy. From dark humor to downright idiocy, he covers the spectrum in this one. The film's theme is twisted, to say the least. And while that wouldn't be a problem in itself, I found myself desperately waiting for something to jolt me awake for the most part. As for the rest of the movie, just forget about logic. Even a layman like me can tell you that some of the stuff just wouldn't fly. And then came Johnny Depp as Guy Lapointe, and it all went downhill from there. I initially thought I'd toss it a generous three stars, but two will more than suffice. / Lesson learned: Justin Long might've just found his life's role. (05.05.2024)

“It's good to cry. It separates us from the animals. Shows you have a soul.” I can understand any rating for Tusk, as it is a highly unconventional film, in both the good and bad sense of the word. The premise itself is very bizarre, winking at The Human Centipede (which I haven't seen, though, so I can't fully judge), and makes you wonder what was going through Kevin Smith's head when he wrote the script. Reflecting on Howard's motivations, the overall atmosphere of the film and the fate of Wallace, I find Tusk incredibly twisted in places, but also sad in a way. I mustn't fail to mention Johnny Depp's eccentric detective with a (slightly altered) face – his conversation with Howard was just as weird as the rest of the film. - PS: "I've only ever known a human to be an ocean of shit." (21.03.2021)

On paper, the premise was a thousand times better than the way it finally works out. I’m really surprised that bullshit like this can get a positive buzz even after a première in a renown festival (TIFF). It is pretty bizarre, yes (though not in a way that may shock a viewer who at least occasionally looks beyond the mainstream), but that’s it. The horror is only in trace amounts, and Smith has a good hand at comedy, but he succeeds in only about 25% of the attempts at a joke, the rest so cringe that hurts. Especially when the most annoying actor these days appears on screen and begins to grimace like an idiot, and refuses to go away. In the closing scene it seems that Smith is trying to say something important, but by then it’s me who would like to say something to him. (02.12.2014)

The premise alone is calling for immediate cult status, the execution, on the other hand, swings between a madhouse and a philosophical circle of recovering alcoholics – but there is something about it. Kevin Smith plays a rather impressive game between the victim and his sociopathic captor that does not lack a proper dose of morbidity, plus the wonderfully ignoble motivations of the villain, but he also ruins everything with comedy reliefs and the performance of Johnny Depp, which belongs to a completely different story. A more serious, and consequently more violent take on the material could have resulted in a horror gem, but what we have is nothing but provocative bizarreness with a wannabe message and dodgy humour, though with some strong moments and a brilliant idea. (15.09.2019)