Written by Robert Scucci | Published
In the Saw movies, a very simple formula is followed: a group of people wakes up in captivity and must complete a series of gruesome games to get out alive. Sure, I'm oversimplifying, but that's all I need to know to compare a horror franchise to a Canadian comedy in 2021, Stanleyville.
There is one important difference that sets it apart Stanleyville from the Saw movies, however: everyone participates in the games voluntarily, and they do it to win the SUV. We find five people, all of whom want to win a new SUV, who appear to be playing a series of strange games that make no sense at first, but become more terrifying when context is regained.
It is noteworthy that Stanleyville it's not a horror movie. Straightforward comedy, which thrives on the antics of each character. Every single person here, except for our main character, is unbearable, and to be honest, it's hard to like our main character. But finally warm to him. Kind of.
Jigsaw Is A Scarier Name Than Homunculus
When we are first introduced to Maria Barbizan (Suzanne Wuest), it is difficult to raise her. A hawk flies through the window of his office building and dies in front of him, causing him to quit his job, leave his family, throw away his money and cell phone, and take a trip to the airport with no real plan in mind. A man who calls himself Homunculus (Julian Richings) has arrived, who offers him a place in his competition, giving him a date and time when he needs to show up.
Upon arrival, Maria is introduced to the arrogant trust-fund baby Andrew Frisbee Jr. (Christian Serritiello), who is addicted to exercise and adds Bofill Pancreas (George Tchortov), Manny Jumpcannon (Adam Brown) who is hot, and Felicie Arkady (Cara Ricketts), who is very determined to win. Or his good side, for that matter. Just stay away from Felicie. That's my advice.
Each round of the “competition” ranges from blowing up balloons or creating a fully functional communication device in less than 14 hours to writing the world's national anthem or cutting off someone's ear.
Maria, not really interested in the first prize but instead looking for a deeper purpose in her life, successfully creates a communication device using a conch shell, where a different voice tells her how to proceed. As the competition progresses, however, some advice comes across as equal parts hostile and cryptic.
Set 'Em Up, Knock 'Em Down
As I wanted to love Stanleyville due to its shape and reduced setting, I still felt that something was missing. The ending is confusing, leaving everything open to interpretation, but even those explanations leave a lot to be desired. Consumerism is destroying us. You can't do it yourself if you're stuck in the rat race. blah, blah, blah. These are all great messages to consider, but I felt robbed of a meaningful payoff simply because… the ending.
I really enjoyed spending time with every single character because they all changed in their own unique way, but part of me wishes we had more time to explore their relationships with each other during the competition. Ideally, every actor brings their A-game, and you don't really need a satisfying turn to enjoy spending time with him under unusual circumstances.
As of this writing, Stanleyville is streaming for free on Tubi.
