Butt Boy

BUTT BOY - Epic Pictures Group

The unfortunate thing about a movie with a high-concept premise is that a majority of the time, the execution isn’t able to live up to the inherent expectations. Once the film’s unique twist is revealed, the rest of the plot often trudges along in typical fashion and the clever idea gets lost in a pretty pedantic narrative. Nearly all the films in The Purge series fall under this banner, as is common with most modern entries into the horror genre. Tyler Cornack’s Butt Boy has no such issue. 

The story is a simple one: a mundane man, Chip Gutchell (Cornack), discovers a new obsession that quickly spirals out of control with deadly consequences. It’s a tried-and-true log-line that has been used to great effect in movies for decades. But as one can infer from the title, the infatuation at the center of Butt Boy involves the titular character’s desire to force objects up his own rectum after getting sexual arousal during his first prostate exam. This begins innocently enough with a bar of soap here, a remote control there, but before long the family dog’s gone vanished without a trace. Things only get darker from there.

The clever thing about Butt Boy, though, is what Cornack does next. After an extended prologue setting up the conceit of the story, the focus shifts away from Chip and onto Russel Fox (Tyler Rice), an alcoholic detective in recovery who is investigating a case related to Chip. With this change in perspective comes a stark difference in tone, as the film takes on the trappings of a traditional cat and mouse thriller that only occasionally acknowledges the absurdity of it all. But when it does get back around to exploring that aspect, it goes for it in a way that few audience members expect and the last act is not for the easily nauseous.

Butt Boy has a multitude of gross and gory moments, but nothing ever really is seen graphically or dealt with in a realistic manner. It’s a film that relies heavily on the more cartoonish aspects of its premise. Basically, don’t worry about seeing anything go in or out. Regardless, it is clearly not a movie for everyone and it is easy to decide guess where one falls on that spectrum based on the title and premise alone. But if a viewer hears the plot and is intrigued, then Butt Boy does not disappoint. 

Just maybe don’t watch while eating. 

BUTT BOY is available to watch May 4th 2020