This summer was a severe disappointment in the world of blockbuster films. While many were surrounded by major hype, none of them seemed to live up to expectations. Of the many films I saw this summer, one in particular stood out to me. It was not a cynical, made-for-money movie like Suicide Squad or Independence Day: Resurgence; this one was different. When I walked into Swiss Army Man, I didn’t really know what to expect. I had heard contrasting reports, from it being dubbed the “farting corpse movie,” to being boldly labelled the best movie of the year. After seeing the film, I affirm that both are true. While it may include more than its share of crude humor, it has messages that linger for a while after seeing the movie. The sheer humanity on display in this quirky picture is very impressive, and the ambiguity of much of the film only adds to the intrigue.
The premise of Swiss Army Man is fairly straightforward. A man stranded alone on an island thinks of ending his life. While in the process of preparing for his death, he sees a corpse, played by Daniel Radcliffe, wash ashore. What ensues is an extremely humorous and yet deeply introspective journey to reach humanity once again. There were scenes when the entire audience was bursting with laughter and others where sniffles could be heard. The movie can best be described as a transformative cinematic experience; one that needs to be seen multiple times to both understand the more intricate bits of humor and similarly to better grasp the fine points of the social commentary.
It may come as a slight shock to see Daniel Radcliffe in a movie of this kind, as he is, of course, better known for much higher-profile and less solemn projects. That said, he really does pull off being a corpse. Radcliffe additionally has great comedic timing in his role unlike in those he has had before. Paul Dano, who plays Hank, the main character, captures the essence of a man separated mentally from society, portraying an essentially crazy character and making him seem very relatable. The acting is not the best part of the film, but Dano and Radcliffe make their respective characters seem believable, or at least as believable as a moving corpse can be.
The real strength of the movie stems not from the acting but from the vision of the directors. The film was helmed by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, better known collectively as the Daniels. They are most known for the viral “Turn Down For What” music video, which was as wonderfully weird as Swiss Army Man. The film truly is quite odd, but does not get hurt too badly from its quirks, as it fully embraces its oddity and quality of out-thereness. This movie is overall a work of cinematic genius for its ability to combine humor with deep contemplation on aspects of human society, while making this highly unlikely scenario relatable to the viewer. It’s not every day that you can get a laugh from a situation of this intensity and pure despair; this is one of the best reasons to see Swiss Army Man.
If you can’t follow a complex plot, this movie may not be for you. There are several instances in which you have to stop and think about what just happened, but for me this just makes it better. Add the underlying commentary about acceptance and the purpose of life, along with a heaping of humor, and you have yourself a film for the ages, or at least a defining film of 2016. Swiss Army Man is definitely worth seeing.