Written & Directed by Kevin Smith.

Starring Justin Long, Michael Parks, Genesis Rodriguez and Haley Joel Osment.

R, 102 minutes.

Tusk comes to theaters with some heavy baggage to overcome. As a body-horror film, it is released in a time where the public has been bludgeoned by the likes of Teeth and The Human Centipede to the point that it feels like there’s nowhere for the genre to go. Almost nothing can be considered shocking anymore, and whatever humor that’s possible to mine can’t match the unintentional laughs each of the aforementioned films had in abundance. However, by injecting Tusk with his strong sense of character, humorous dialogue and a knack for the grotesque in equal measure, Kevin Smith’s newest film thankfully avoids being at all cynical in its approach.

Justin Long stars as Wallace Briton, a smarmy podcaster who travels to Canada to conduct an interview with an unfortunate Internet celebrity. When that goes south, he scours the locale for interesting stories and stumbles upon an eccentric man (Michael Parks) who’s full of interesting stories and strange hobbies, so strange that Wallace quickly finds himself way in over his head.

The major subplot involves Wallace’s lover (Genesis Rodriguez, whose sincerity makes it seem like she’s in an entirely different movie and helps us buy the important final scene) and his best buddy (Haley Joel Osment) scouring the Great White North for their friend with the help of a quirky former detective.

All the main players do a fantastic job. Michael Parks especially deserves some kind of recognition as he steals every scene he’s in. Haley Joel Osment also makes a case that he should still be in movies despite the fact that it feels like half his dialogue is raucous laughter (he does it very well). Having said all this, however, there’s also a fairly substantial supporting character introduced late in the film that, while being amusing at first, threatens to derail the proceedings somewhat. A one-note caricature from a very talented actor whose career as of late has been merely reduced to playing one-note caricatures. Despite the fact that it’s not a cameo appearance and the actor is quite easy to figure out with the use of an IMDB cast list, I won’t spoil it here.

Tusk owes its skeletal structure to Psycho and Kevin Smith’s own Red State, while also putting a slight spin on the basic premise of The Human Centipede. The film works best when it’s introducing its bizarre concept and only really stumbles when it comes to offering up a satisfying climax. Despite earning genuine laughs, the main plot isn’t treated as one big farce, so it’s mildly distressing to see the climax devolve into nothing but a wacky sight gag, albeit bolstered by the inclusion of Fleetwood Mac’s “Tusk” on the soundtrack.

The final scene is touching, making up for the fairly weak section just before it, and the film redeems itself ever so slightly just as it ends, making Tusk worthy enough of recommendation for its excellent performances and strong sense of character. Even if it doesn’t handle the whole “Is man a beast at heart?” theme in a satisfying manner, it doesn’t necessarily overreach itself in that regard either. Despite a few qualms, it’s a generally fulfilling experience and a welcome addition to Kevin Smith’s resume.

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