Crust

With a sea of remakes and movies you've seen over and over this movie has such an interesting and original plot that make it a breath of fresh air. The acting is amazing and it has a great combination of comedy and horror. I rented the movie and 30 minutes and I went back and bought it because I knew it would be something I would want to rewatch and recommend to friends. Sean Whalen is such a great actor and always steals the movie no matter how much screen time he has so I was instantly interested in checking out his directorial debut. Cyber hi-five for everyone involved in the making of this film and Hope to see more from Sean and the rest of the crew .

A little camp (but not too much), lots of funny, the right amount of horror, and a pinch of noir.

Whalen's directorial debut follows a former child actor down on his luck and himself contemplating a reboot of that childhood family favorite, Baker's Dozen. Most of his fellow child castmates have followed the general tropes of child actors gone wrong: drugs, prison, early death. Paul/Vegas managed to avoid these pitfalls but he now runs a laundromat and is the victim of bullies.

Then we have Crust - our monster (or is he our hero? He is a charmer).. cutest monster this side of a friendly street.

Don't go by the trailer, screenshots or synopsis alone. It'll make you assume the worst. The truth is this is a worthwhile comedy/horror (it's comedy with a campy horrific moment here and there). The humor is zany and it definitely holds your interest. I'm very picky yet couldn't stop watching. The acting is also better than I expected. Sean Whalen, Alan Ruck, Daniel Roebuck and Felissa Rose are all a hoot. There's even a touch of romance mixed in. Heck, technically there's even a twist ending. The choice of black and white and splitting the film into segments was a cool touch too. I recommend giving this a watch, particular if in a certain state of mind. You'll get a kick out of it. Bizarre yet worth it.

Crust is such a delightful film! Sean Whalen has written a unique, creative story, and his directorial debut feels like an instant cult classic.

Paul/Vegas Winters, a former child star, now spends his days attending a laundromat. While wallowing in self pity, Paul habitually wipes his various bodily fluids onto socks, tossing them in a pile. After a viral video makes his whereabouts known, he becomes the laughingstock of town.

Fed up with the humiliation, fed up with his depression, the pile of socks comes to life to eliminate Paul's enemies; Crust is born!

This film plays with themes of mental health, showing the dark side of depression and anxiety, while wrapped in a fun and quirky premise. I appreciated how relatable the story was -- I'm sure anybody who's dealt with depression can find kinship in Whalen's character. He captures the sense of loneliness and abandonment from one's peers, causing one to latch onto any kind of crutch one can find that offers a reprieve from their depression. And the feeling of betrayal when the few supportive loved ones call out one's crutch for what it is.

Whether Crust is a benevolent or malignant force, it is clear the creature inspires confidence in Paul and sparks life in the previously empty soul.

I truly enjoyed this film. The supporting cast of Rebekah Kennedy as the love interest who sees Paul's true light, and Daniel Roebuck as the best friend who causes Paul as much grief as he does joy, were a perfect counterbalance for Whalen's heartfelt story.

Very excited to see what other gems come out of Sean Whalen's mind.

It's weird, absurd, and just different. Has to be one of the most unique revenge films of all time. Crust is a real homie.

I was prepared for it to be silly and fun. What I wasn't prepared for was the range of emotion from Sean Whalen. There are some facial expressions that hit me harder than I anticipated.

Needless to say this probably isn't everyone's cup of tea, but if you want to see something you haven't seen before, this is it. Reminds me of my younger days and seeing the VHS cover of something like Jack Frost. Where you look at the art and say that's so weird that now I have to see what it's about.