All Jacked Up and Full of Worms, 2022.
Directed by Alex Phillips.
Starring Sammy Arechar, Betsey Brown, Phillip Andre Botello, Trevor Dawkins, Eva Fellows, Mike Lopez, Carol Rhyu.
SYNOPSIS:
Two lonely Chicagoans bond over their shared interest in getting high on earthworms.
Do you like the weird shit? Are you ok with things getting a little bit gross? For adventurous viewers, Alex Phillips’ debut feature is the purest hit of endorphins you’ll find this side of munching on some earthworms (more on that later).
Unlike the characters in this film, I’ve never “done worms.” Nevertheless, I’m kind of in love with this movie. In All Jacked Up and Full of Worms, the performances, music, effects, and directorial vision come together to create something slimy and beautiful. This is low-budget filmmaking at its best.
Benny (Trevor Dawkins) is a heavily medicated, chronically horny loser who yearns to be a father. Roscoe (Phillip Andre Botello) cleans hotel rooms for a living and is in a miserable threesome with his girlfriend and roommate.
After an encounter with a friendly sex worker (Eva Fellows) who tells Benny that he can get a powerful high off earthworms (snort them, chew them, whatever), Benny and Roscoe meet and form a beautiful, worm-fueled friendship. Of course, no great bender can last, and they find themselves in a fight for their lives when they fall prey to a malevolent couple (Mike Lopez and Carol Rhyu, also very high on worms).
There is a bit more to the story, but please resist the urge to read too much in advance about this deliciously funny and disgusting film. Living on the fringes of society in a rundown part of Chicago, Benny and Roscoe pursue their goals in the dumbest possible ways, but with the enthusiasm of “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” by way of Frank Henenlotter.
With its unwaveringly provocative and sophomoric sensibility, All Jacked Up and Full of Worms could easily wear out its welcome before its 72 minutes are up, but there is serious craft and consideration at work here. One of the unexpected joys of All Jacked Up and Full of Worms is how expertly Phillips weaves the hero’s journey of would-be dad Benny. The particulars are best discovered along the way.
If All Jacked Up and Full of Worms worked only as a highly inventive gross-out comedy, it would be enough. But this movie defines itself by Phillips’s openhearted affection for his featherbrained, inebriated characters just as much as by its juicy, worm-munching disgustingness. Horror fans should be up for anything, an attitude this movie richly rewards. Worms are love. See it as soon as you can.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★
Caitlin Crowley
