Master Cleanse, The (2016)
Starring Anna Friel, Johnny Galecki, Kyle Gallner, Anjelica Huston, Oliver Platt
Directed by Bobby Miller
Screened at FrightFest 2016
Depressed and reeling from the life-changing event of being dumped at the altar by his fiancée, slovenly social recluse Paul (Galecki) has taken up an addiction to junk food – perpetually snacking on chocolate, candy and just about anything sweet he can get his hands on. One night, he’s captivated by a late-night infomercial promoting holistic healer Ken Roberts’ (Platt) newest retreat: “Let’s Get Pure.”
Since it’s free, downtrodden Paul decides to give it a shot – and is delighted when he’s accepted alongside three other applicants including potential love interest Maggie (Friel), who is herself addicted to exercise and tortured by a twisted body image.
The retreat is a strange, secluded place, overseen by the super-bubbly Lily (Huston, seemingly having tons of fun with the role), and the cleanse itself is certainly unpalatable – each of the participants is asked to drink a large amount of an unknown (but gag-inducing) tonic. Said tonic is tailored to each of the patients, so they’re warned not to swill from anyone else’s if they want the cleanse to be a success.
Like a strange cross of Cronenberg and Henenlotter, each of the participants finds themselves vomiting up a ton of bile that subsequently grows into a disgusting-yet-cute creature representing the embodiment of their particular faulty obsessions. But when the final stage of the cleanse arrives, the situation becomes heated as Paul and chums’ connections to their bulbous births leaves them torn over whether to proceed.
More drama than horror, The Master Cleanse is a very effective allegory for the human condition – how we latch onto our biggest problems, define ourselves with them and refuse to let go, nurturing and excusing as they grow to the point where they may very well consume us. Leaving things behind, even when they cause us so much pain, is hard – and Miller’s film does an admirable job of exploring that not only through the physical metaphor of the (ridiculously endearing) animatronic creatures, but through his characters’ behaviour and conversations.
Firmly outside of the broad comedy of “The Big Bang Theory,” Galecki does a bang-up (no pun intended) job of shouldering the film alongside Friel, with both Paul and Maggie feeling legitimately vulnerable, if somewhat self-centred. In other words: human. Their logic, conflicts (internal and external), concerns and elation all feel organic and satisfying, with little in the way of stupid decisions or unintentional awkwardness to be found.
The Master Cleanse does slip a little when it comes to the horror, as the background layer of threat felt early on gradually melts away before disappearing entirely with the earnest appearance of program creator Ken Roberts (Oliver Platt in an expectedly strong turn) – the voice of reason in the face of his patients’ emotional states. Yes, there is danger (and fatality) within the confines of the retreat, but The Master Cleanse rarely pushes it, settling back instead to focus on its characters and what they do given the uniquely weird predicament of cradling the physical representation of their problems.
The runtime of around 80 minutes means The Master Cleanse refuses to stretch the concept too thin, but it actually could have done with a little more exploration of the dangers and, perhaps, some more gruesome demonstration of the warning at the core of its allegory. The ending also rushes around too quickly, closing the book for Maggie and Paul’s budding relationship but leaving Platt’s involvement feeling far too scant.
Still, it also means you’re unlikely to find yourself bored or mentally wandering, as the pacing is on point throughout. Backed up by amusing injections of humour, sincere performances and a strangely compelling concept, it all makes for a pleasing cinematic oddity that won’t waste your time.
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Film
Categorized:Reviews
