Kids are the future they say � but that couldn�t be farther from the truth in the wickedly irreverent Cooties. Born from the warped minds of Saw's Leigh Whannell and Glee�s Ian Brennan, their latest project is an absurd twist on the zombie genre, one in which kids could possibly mean the end of the world. If Dawn of the Dead were about a crew of misfit teachers trying to survive a grade school zombie apocalypse, you'd get this film, a witty addition to the genre that's as funny and brutal as can be. It never shies away from any opportunity to milk its twisted premise, yet always does so in inventive ways. Anchored by a literally killer ensemble cast, the film is a crowd pleaser from start to finish, sure to amuse veteran gorehounds and casual horror fans alike.
The story begins with a budding writer named Clint (Elijah Wood), who's moved back into his childhood home and picked up a summer gig as a substitute teacher. On his first day on the job, he reconnects to a old friend and a colorful mix of characters who comprise the teaching staff at a small elementary school. Unbeknownst to anyone, their day is about to get a whole lot rougher, thanks to an infected chicken finger which turns one unsuspecting little girl into a feral host bent on spreading her vicious disease to everyone on the playground. As the school's kids turn homicidal and the blood begins to flow, the unsuspecting band of teachers are forced into an uneasy alliance, doing anything in their will to figure out what's happening and just maybe, survive the night.
Most surprising about he film is the way it balances a slew of disparate tones, playing with genre conventions but never becoming a slave to them. The more "zombie" films we get, the more they feel the same, and yet this one escapes the genre's trappings by focusing on its colorful characters and finding ways to continually push them into situations that are simultaneously funny, unpredictable and shockingly gory. Fitting everything in from an icky autopsy to a suiting up montage, the film stays light on its feet but plays everything refreshingly straight, never winking but finding genuine comedy from the absurdity of what's on screen. From the gruesome kills (there are tons of memorable ones), to the relentless pace, there�s never a dull moment or much that�s wasted about the film in general.
If there's a reason to watch the film besides the blood and guts, it's the cast, who each carve their own niche among the film's misadventures, each getting their own chance to shine. Elijah Wood's meek but well-meaning Clint headlines the cast as the unsuspecting hero who has to rise to the cause. For Wood, the film marks yet another diverse turn, playing a grounded everyman stuck in an extraordinary situation. Rainn Wilson�s Wade is more or less is the darkest timeline version of what we�ve come to expect from him: half jerk, half vulnerable misanthrope, he has his place. Jack McBrayer, Alison Pill and Nasim Pedrad round things out, used sparingly but always when they're needed most. If there�s someone who rises above and steals every moment he�s in however, it�s writer Leigh Whannell who joins in on the fun as the socially inept Doug. As someone who just blurts out his raw, unedited thoughts, everything that comes out of his character's mouth is gold, delivered with perfect deadpan timing � he gets a lot of the film�s real zingers, driving everything over the edge when you least expect. Together, this diverse set of performers and characters are irresistible to watch.
Cooties is one of those films that you're surprised didn't happen sooner, a throwback to the 80s horror films of yesteryear which were all based around the silliest kinds of pop culture references. But hey � it works out great here, thanks to the inventiveness and strong vision of directors Jonathan Milott and Cary Murnion. The film smartly plays things a bit broad without sacrificing its niche appeal, and because of that, it's bound to connect to a wide audience looking for nothing more that a perfect blast of escapism with just the right amount of story and character. In a world where zombie films and shows are ubiquitous, this film is the cure to genre complacency. Better than pastiche, and with smarter humor than most comedies, you�ll laugh, you�ll cringe and at the end, you won't regret any of it.
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Horror comedies are kinda hitting it out of the park this year.
Maybe it's just a natural progression -- a testament to the fact that enough time has passed by where filmmakers are now able to harness the hilarity of horror and action movie tropes into hybrid comedies worthy of being in the pantheon of the greats. I'm not sure about the how. All I know is that, earlier this year, we had the great What We Do In The Shadows and now we have Cooties, which features a stellar, known cast that includes Elijah Wood, Rainn Wilson, Allison Pill and Jack McBrayer.
It's funny, violent, funnily violent and, just like any good comedy should be, endlessly quotable.
Starting off with one of the nastiest intros in recent memory, Cooties shows quickly enough that source of its universe's imminent zombie apocalypse is a contaminated chicken nugget that makes it way into a local elementary school. The movie follows Elijah Wood as Clint, a failed author who moves back home and subs at the elementary that he went to, and the teachers he works with there -- characters that range from the douche of a jock gym teacher Wade (Rainn Wilson) to the weird but brilliant science teacher Doug (Leigh Whannell).
While not a straight-up parody, Cooties acknowledges the various plot devices and tropes that it's borrowing from. It also mines a lot of humor from the difficulties of being a teacher: You have parents that care more about being on their cell phones than paying attention to their kids to deadly results, not to mention those shithead little kids that are willing to spread life-ruining rumors about teachers just to get away with being a brat in class. There's a lot of social commentary there about how teachers are not at all in control within the modern climate of lawsuit-happy parents and precious snowflake children with peanut allergies.
The whole movie can be seen as an allegorical manifestation of a modern teacher's desperation. I know a few teachers and, through them, I know the following: While there are some amazing things about being a teacher, it can also be draining and potentially frustrating job. There are definitely some scenes in this movie that feel like they were included simply for the sake of catharsis for frustrated teachers.
This cast pulls that all off with aplomb, though: Wilson's socially awkward P.E. teacher steals the movie constantly with his weird comments; Alison Pill's Lucy compels as the cheery and bubbly teacher with a darker side right underneath the surface; and Wood pulls off his The Faculty role reversal here with charm. In the age of pop-culture zombie saturation, Cooties manages to stay fresh with its ensemble cast's great chemistry, its self-effacing humor and a story that takes some pretty big and surprising risks.
It's the latest entertaining installment in the long ling of great horror comedies that started with Shaun of the Dead ten years ago. Here's hoping it won't be the last.
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Directors Jonathan Milott and Cary Murnion couldn't have assembled a better troupe of character actors than the one in Cooties. If you�re going to cast some of the best, you'd best put them in a good movie, and Cooties is great. It's part Class of Nuke Em High, part 28 Days Later, and part Night of the Living Dead. The team of Murnion and Milott compose a sick and hilarious amalgam of horror comedy that actually manages to build a very difficult premise. How do you fight hordes of children? And even if small children were running rampant and eating people, would you be able to murder them out of self defense?
Clint is starting his first day teaching summer school at Fort Chicken elementary school and is preparing for a hard go of it with some rather bratty children populating his school. Things go from bad to worse when a young girl bites in to a tainted chicken nugget that infects her with a horrible virus that transforms her in to a flesh eating savage.
After infecting one of her classmates, the virus is quickly spread among the student body, all of whom begin ripping in to the faculty and using their guts for lunch. Horrified and left locked in school, Clint, along with a small staff of substitute teachers, have to figure out a way to escape the school without being mauled by the children. As events spiral out of control, obstacles begin to present themselves making their survival nightmarish, including a trek to a vending machine, efforts to warn incoming parents, and fighting their way to safety.
Cooties is strictly a dark comedy that focuses on some sick laughs before creeping out audiences, and I was entertained from beginning to end. It also furthers my theory that deep down kids are rotten little monsters that can work together to do some horrible damage. The directorial team, paired with the great writing keeps Cooties laugh out loud funny, while also unfolding an apocalyptic situation that's eerily plausible.
It helps that the cast tackle the script with ace comic timing, including Elijah Wood, and Allison Pill, as well Rainn Wilson who almost steals the show as blowhard gym teacher Wade. I'd be remiss if I didn�t mention Jack McBrayer, Nasim Pedrad, Jorge Garcia, and (writer) Leigh Whannell, who is among the cast. The directing team is wise in setting up our characters, and propping up some very subtle foreshadowing all the while chronicling the extent of damage the virus inflicts in the background. We, as an audience, are put in to a position where we know more than the teachers. So while they're in their offices attempting conversation, we just know outside in the playground blood soaked chaos is exploding. It then becomes a matter of how long it'll take for them to realize it, and how they'll respond to it.
Cooties is briskly paced and matches our adult characters against impossible odds; surely the adults have size and strength, but the more they gain knowledge about the virus, the more they realize they're hopelessly outnumbered and outwitted. What's worse is that the school is drawn as a very claustrophobic setting where characters can barely flee for their lives, especially when going up against foes that can squeeze in to small spaces and dart from dark corners. That said, Cooties suffers from a hopelessly exhausting third act where it becomes clear the writers didn't know how to end the narrative. True, how do you end a movie about the apocalypse? That doesn�t excuse what feels like a finale running on fumes. Jorge Garcia is also given little to nothing to do except act as a running gag for the movie, which is pretty sad. Cooties is nonetheless a raucous and fun horror comedy that succeeds in delivering creeps and hearty laughter. This will definitely live on as a party movie best enjoyed by a crowd of horror geeks in the mood for grue, gore, and a breezy horror ride.
