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When we talk about streaming culture, we’re usually enthusing about what’s new, but one of the best things about streaming is how it’s made old and obscure cult hits available to a new generation. Presenting Cult Corner: your weekly look into hidden gems and long-lost curiosities that you can find on streaming.
Maybe it’s because we’re all secretly five years old or maybe we’re just masochists, but a large part of humanity is drawn to things that make us gag. If most of this year has been too clean for your taste, there’s a cure you can stream right now: The Greasy Strangler.
Directed by Jim Hosking, it feels like a huge understatement to say that this movie isn’t for everyone. There’s are multiple close-up shots of naked old men, slurping and smacking sounds, people literally eating handfuls of grease, and some truly bizarre deaths. However, for the small amount of people who find that combination more engaging than revolting, the black comedy won’t let you down. The movie follows a father (Michael St. Michaels) and son (Sky Elobar) duo who are unnervingly close. They live together, eat grease together, and even share the same love interest (Elizabeth De Razzo). However, Big Ronnie has been keeping a huge secret from his son — he’s actually the Greasy Strangler, a mass murderer that has been haunting the city.
That hardly feels like a spoiler because that revelation is made clear about 10 minutes into the movie. This Elijah Wood-produced movie isn’t necessarily a game of cat and mouse. Rather, it’s a long-winded but fun mockery of the horror genre as a whole. Since the stakes and beats of the movie are established so early on, The Greasy Strangler quickly becomes an experiment in ridiculousness. How many times can you watch a naked man slowly cover himself in grease without barfing? How many times can you hear the same five jokes without ripping out your hair? Can you make it through literally any of this movie sober? It’s a test.
But at the end, this test is worth the payoff because this movie is unlike anything you have ever seen. The Greasy Strangler is unabashedly gross and dumb, to the point that if you attempt to eat while watching, you will likely throw up. But it’s through it’s disgusting content and relentless stupidity that the movie finds its odd stride. I found myself laughing several times at jokes and deliveries that I will likely never be able to explain. The Greasy Strangler is a very weird, very gross, and very dumb movie. However, if you’re up for the challenge, it’s one that’s worth your time.
