One thing that must be understood before watching this film is that this isn’t your run-of-the-mill horror. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a movie like this, a sentiment I will share with many viewers. Yet, once I pressed play, it was utterly impossible to turn away until I arrived at the end.
No spoilers, I promise.
All Jacked Up and Full of Worms centers on two main characters — Roscoe and Benny. Roscoe is a janitor for one of those scuzzy love motels you’d see in an 80s horror film like Basket Case, and we see him somewhat sleepwalking through life. His girlfriend just brought home another guy and invited him to join her and Roscoe in one of her strange rituals where he tries to conquer his childhood demons.
Then there’s Benny, who is a few cards short of a full deck. Benny wants a child, so he orders one, hoping to manifest a real child someday. When the child arrives, it’s evident that a mistake has been made. His new baby is a youth series sex doll (and yes, it’s equally as disturbing as it sounds).
Eventually, Roscoe and Benny meet and bond over their addiction to hallucinogenic worms, which leads them into a downward spiral they can’t slither out of.
Alex Phillips’ feature debut is a gallery of imagery surrounding mental illness and how the mind naturally seeks connection and support. It vividly portrays how mental illness shapes your perspective and motivates behavior.
Even amid the grotesque imagery, Phillips injects enough tender moments to extract even the slightest empathy for Roscoe and Benny.
Horror is a boundless genre, making it a premium vehicle for exploring various themes surrounding the human condition. Many directors have used it to tell their own stories. I applaud Phillips’ ability to pull from his experience in psychiatric hospitals and translate it into a fever dream of revel. It gives viewers a proper introduction to what we can expect from the director in the future.
The acid trip reminds me of Requiem for a Dream. Phillips switches between cinematic modes, drawing the audience further into this worm-filled phantasm. He somehow found a way to make something so outlandish and relatable. And, to his credit, maintaining a sense of direction during such a wild story is impressive.
It’s not an easy watch, especially for people unfamiliar with this cult film subgenre. Still, that is what solidifies the director’s point. You might feel like you’ve ingested worms by the end of the film. Completely out of my comfort zone, All Jacked Up and Full of Worms demands the audience to journey outside the norm and enter a world of dark humor, depravity, and invertebrates.
Phillips is a director to watch for as he clearly has a distinct style and vision that’s sure to become a favorite among the midnight movie crowd.
All Jacked Up and Full of Worms is now streaming on Screambox.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
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