'Psycho Goreman' is a horror comedy that follows two siblings, Mimi and Luke as they happen upon and release an ancient extraterrestrial overlord trapped on earth.
The story opens with establishing the sibling dynamic Luke and Mimi have as they play their made up game 'Crazy Ball'. The game leads to the kids digging a hole in their back garden where they happen upon the buried alien overlord. Claiming the gem hidden in the grave, Mimi inadvertently comes to possess power over the imprisoned monster lying dormant. The monster soon awakens and finds his way to an abandoned shoe factory. There he kills and dismembers a trio of derelicts. The following day Mimi and Luke find their way to the monster and discover the power Mimi holds over him. Much to Luke's dismay, Mimi proceeds to order the monster around and dubs him Psycho Goreman (PG for short). At the same time we learn of how PG was trapped on Earth, - having spent much of his life as a slave under the Templars on his hime planet Gigax, he found the gem that granted him unlimited strength and power, now possessed by Mimi.
Meanwhile, a group of aliens known as the 'Planetary Alliance' learn of PG's escape and send Pandora, a Templar warrior to earth in order to defeat him and put a stop to his destruction and the possible threat he poses to the galaxy.
Soon after PG sends a message to his allies, the 'Paladins of Obsidian', the leaders of an army he assembled to overthrow the Templars and their rule over Gigax and with whom he proceeded to satisfy his bloodlust after liberating his home planet, by wreaking havoc on other planets. As Mimi continues to order PG around, sensing that Luke is displeased with Mimi's actions, PG communicates with Luke through a nightmare he has. Unwilling to give up his sister, Luke refuses to assist PG in retrieving the gem.
Soon after the 'Paladins of Obsidian' reach earth, and PG learns that they worked with the Templars to overthrow him, and are happy with ruling over Gigax in turns. PG proceeds to destroy his possy, and, injured, travels back home with Mimi, Luke and their father Greg. There they are met by their mother, Susan and Pandora, as she has tracked PG down. Later, back at the old shoe factory, PG is seriously injured from fighting the Paladins of Obsidian and requests Mimi to return the gem to him to recover. Mimi promises to give him the gem in exchange for keeping her family safe from PG.
Soon after Pandora reaches the factory where PG and Pandora decide to battle, with PG asking Mimi to decide the discipline of combat. Settling on Crazy Ball, the group proceed to fight, with PG ultimately winning. After defeating Pandora, PG decides to be on his way, and keeps his promise of not harming the family and they witness him proceed to destroy their home town.
The film is a delightfully gory ride that dips into a vast universe of alien history, yet playfully avoids overcomplicating the narrative with delving too deep into dissecting the lore. At the core of the film is the relationship between Mimi and Luke, as we discover the dynamic of their bond and how that affects their actions. The timid and cautious Luke is balanced against the hot-headed and arrogant Mimi, and together go on a journey that dares each of them to step outside of their comfort zone and become more like the other.
In between the siblings is Psycho Goreman. Through interjecting in the youngsters lives, the alien overlord provides ample opportunity for the two to exhibit their true colours, with Mimi taking advantage of the newfound power and unashamedly using it to fulfil her wishes through subjugating the people around her and exacting her will in various, and mostly humorous, ways. Luke on the other hand acts as a force towards keeping things grounded, as strange as it may seem when dealing with a bloodthirsty alien. Luke's unwillingness to participate in his sisters sinister ploys and trying to suggest a more calm approach to the situation illustrates the reasonable approach to the situation, yet the film manages to subvert that approach and showcases a number of ways in which a somewhat psychotic and narcissistic approach to using unlimited power can be fun.
The film is made on a tight budget, yet the use of practical effects and outstanding makeup and wardrobe make the film an enticing and immersive tale that allows the viewer to suspend their disbelief and follow the crazy doings of the group unashamedly throwing a wealth of intergalactic information at them.
If the viewer is inclined to accept the unusual story for what it is, 'Psycho Goreman' offers a well needed escape from reality by showing us the crazy circumstances where an evil alien is taken advantage of by a couple of young earthlings. The essence and success of making the film memorable is that the story does not go down a clichéd route of - love and togetherness can conquer all, but rather leans into exploring the fun of the alien being ridiculed and the child responsible for it acting only in their self interest.
The story of the film also presents an intriguing premise in not setting a clear villain for the story. On the outset PG is clearly marked as a homicidal maniac with the singular goal of destroying any and all civilisations that he comes across. Conversely, the Planetary Alliance is presented as a group of yes-men, afraid of PG and wishing to imprison him. However, Pandora, as a Templar part of the alliance is not without sin, as her group are shown to have enslaved PG's people, thereby illustrating the conflict and many shades in-between good and bad, as both PG and Pandora are part of misdoings incompatible with the hero archetype.
Further to that, even although PG is not a hero, his strength and charm lies in that he is true to his character, - not hiding his violent urges and proclaiming what he believes to be true. Pandora on the other hand, is ready to imprison PG, yet her past and the reason for wanting to do so alludes to the misdoings of her and her kind. By showing the two opposing sides, yet painting them both in dark shades regarding morality, 'Psycho Goreman' allows the audience to not pick someone to stand behind, rather allowing us to maliciously enjoy the death and destruction both sides lay waste to during the course of the story.
The film stars Matthew Ninaber as Psycho Goreman in the film, and voiced by Steven Vlahos. Together, Ninaber and Vlahos present a terrifying and imposing figure that is as effective in instilling fear as he is hilarious when faced with the inability to use his power, especially against a couple of youngsters.
Nita-Josee Hanna portrays Mimi and Owen Myre plays Luke. Together the young actors anchor the film and create the gateway through which the viewer can try to create some semblance of reality and establish a connection to the story. Hanna's unrelenting cynicism and Luke's cautious approach to matters establishes a fun and haywire journey that can be enjoyed purely for its own absurdity.
The films creator, writer and director Steven Kostanski has managed to create a gory romp, reminiscent of low-budget 80's fare that invite you to appreciate the out of sorts bizarre storyline and enjoy the spectacle of its characters both in appearance and the extremes to which their personalities and characteristics are stretched. A true testament to and perhaps an ode to the B-movie, 'Psycho Goreman' has been created to extend the appreciation of the low-budget feature.
Without having to make a decision about what and who is good or bad, 'Psycho Goreman' pokes fun at the tired trope and just goes all out on presenting an absurd and ridiculously funny story, at the end of which the audience is not forced to have learned a lesson or been privy to some idea on morality.
Score: 3/4
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