I wasn't quite sure *what* score to give this. "2 stars" is either generous or harsh, depending on what you hope for in a film. Personally, I hope for interesting and/or likable characters and an engaging plot that actually makes (enough) sense. Sadly, this offers neither. As a logline, it's a funny and promising premise. As a film, it's borderline-incomprehensible and, at least to me, was an infuriating disappointment. In a nutshell: 1 hour 26 minutes of unpleasant things happening to unlikable, one-dimensional characters, most of whom don't have two IQ points to bang together, and very little of which makes sense. (And no, not in a good way.) You struggle to care what happens to any of them and in most cases wish for their swift demise. Comparisons with Scorsese's 'After Hours' extend only as far as "guy having a bad night". Otherwise, this is charmless and an hour and a half you'll wish you'd spent elseways.
5 Reviews
Slapstick Jockstrap Noir
G8RB8T11 September 2023
Gary Huggins' assured debut feature film Kick Me is a propulsive comedy of terrors lurching out from the dankest corners of Kansas City, KS, a land of roving dog gangs, winnebago swingers and damp deserted shopping malls.
Star Santiago Vasquez anchors the film in a high-wire comedic performance as a put-upon high school guidance counselor whose nascent karate prowess gets him into trouble with Blitz, a trigger-happy strip mall warlord and his equally deranged hit-man little brother, Ro-Tel.
Ping-ponging between shock gags and visceral trash action, Kick Me mixes the spirit of regional outsider art with crowd-pleasing/'80s Touchstone Pictures energy...like Adventures In Babysitting directed by Werner Herzog.
Populated with a supporting cast of oddballs plucked from KCK obscurity, Kick Me is ripe for movie nights with your weirdest friends.
Jenkem if you got em!
Star Santiago Vasquez anchors the film in a high-wire comedic performance as a put-upon high school guidance counselor whose nascent karate prowess gets him into trouble with Blitz, a trigger-happy strip mall warlord and his equally deranged hit-man little brother, Ro-Tel.
Ping-ponging between shock gags and visceral trash action, Kick Me mixes the spirit of regional outsider art with crowd-pleasing/'80s Touchstone Pictures energy...like Adventures In Babysitting directed by Werner Herzog.
Populated with a supporting cast of oddballs plucked from KCK obscurity, Kick Me is ripe for movie nights with your weirdest friends.
Jenkem if you got em!
"After Hours" meets "The Odessy" in KCK Hell
emcgrane772 October 2023
Gary Huggins' razor-sharp wit shines brilliantly in this blood-soaked odyssey, akin to a modern-day epic by Homer. The film's allure hinges on its hapless and utterly inept protagonist, Santiago Vasquez, a character whose every move seems destined for disaster.
Without divulging any spoilers, the narrative careens wildly through a grotesque landscape, a nightmarish and seemingly endless expedition through the infamous Kansas City, Kansas - a town eternally perched on the wrong side of the tracks. It's a scenario that oddly feels disturbingly plausible, as if we've all weathered a night that spiraled into chaos without warning.
Liking anyone in this twisted tale proves to be a Herculean task. Yet, against all odds, we cheer for Santiago as he navigates the grim fallout of his consistently poor choices.
"Sharp, gruesome, jaw-dropping, blood-soaked, and utterly enthralling" best describes this cinematic gem. I wholeheartedly endorse it.
P. S. - Three-legged dogs undoubtedly reign supreme!
Without divulging any spoilers, the narrative careens wildly through a grotesque landscape, a nightmarish and seemingly endless expedition through the infamous Kansas City, Kansas - a town eternally perched on the wrong side of the tracks. It's a scenario that oddly feels disturbingly plausible, as if we've all weathered a night that spiraled into chaos without warning.
Liking anyone in this twisted tale proves to be a Herculean task. Yet, against all odds, we cheer for Santiago as he navigates the grim fallout of his consistently poor choices.
"Sharp, gruesome, jaw-dropping, blood-soaked, and utterly enthralling" best describes this cinematic gem. I wholeheartedly endorse it.
P. S. - Three-legged dogs undoubtedly reign supreme!
A pressure cooker of tragicomedic, chaotically good fun!
jamieannhickman18 November 2023
Always delightful to have a film where you don't know what to expect more than exceed your expectations! An extreme though eloquent example of no good deed goes unpunished. With edge-of-your-seat-mouth-agape-what's-gonna-happen-next tension so relatable to the modern human experience, you'd be sociopathic not to empathize with the lead character. Though certain sociopathic tendencies is what gives this film its "what the fu@#!" charm. Great music and wonderful performances by many newcomers is the icing on this wacky cake of a cathartic crisis of fun narrative filmmaking you're sure to get a "kick" out of! Watch and enjoy!
You're not in Kansas anymore!
cmmjj128 February 2024
Actually, you are in Kansas. This well played Indie movie is how Kansas/Missouri or the Kansas City metro area is like. I loved how each character was portrayed and the acting was spot on.
The camera work, color grading, lighting, and sound all came out amazingly well. If you know what it takes to do any kind of filming or editing, you will appreciate the technical side of this Indie movie. Kick me also showed the acting talent The Kansas City metro (both the Kansas side and Missouri side) area has to offer.
I really loved the RV scene. That was when you know the rest of the movie is about to get crazy. I will tell anyone to watch Kick Me, it's a mind game that's worth watching.
The camera work, color grading, lighting, and sound all came out amazingly well. If you know what it takes to do any kind of filming or editing, you will appreciate the technical side of this Indie movie. Kick me also showed the acting talent The Kansas City metro (both the Kansas side and Missouri side) area has to offer.
I really loved the RV scene. That was when you know the rest of the movie is about to get crazy. I will tell anyone to watch Kick Me, it's a mind game that's worth watching.
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