Wrong Cops (2013)
7/10
"Write a book about what?!"
19 September 2016
There's no plot to "Wrong Cops." It... just sort of unfolds, like a flower blooming, then withering, then rotting.

The official synopsis claims that "Wrong Cops" is set in a future where crime has been eradicated —but you'd never know this was "SF" by watching this film cold. "Wrong" looks like it was shot during a sunny day in New Jersey or someplace.

Due to this lack of structure, "Wrong" has a anemic, listless, aimless feel, which makes viewing tedious at times. Overall, however, the lack of structure (or maybe the structure I'm not picking up on) adds to the absurdity of the comedy, making it truly funny in places. Additionally, an otherworldly soundtrack of messy, electronic beats strings the movie together, giving it its own identity. I love the music. It makes this movie feel like it's set in another dimension. One character comments on it, suggesting that they may be in Hell: "We have invisible flames around us. You can't see them, but we all have invisible flames around us."

Marilyn Manson has a small role as a maligned high school kid and he's very funny. I've always respected him after watching his insightful interview on "Bowling for Columbine," and he seems like a cool guy, someone who doesn't take himself too seriously. That's the attitude of this film, too. You just laugh at the oddness of it all, and don't get annoyed or angry when the plot doesn't make sense. I've seen other user reviews refer to this as a movie for weed-smokers. I don't smoke pot, but I can see this as perfect pothead theatre.

Parts of the movie that drag tend to be scenes with Eric Wareheim and Arden Myrin. I don't know them from other work—both are comedians, apparently—but the scenes with them (especially Wareheim) kind of suck. Wareheim getting sprayed with pepper spray was slooooow and his comedy mannerisms seem to be him just over enunciating "n" and "t" sounds, like he's doing a cruel impression of a severely autistic adolescent. Props to Mark Burnham, however. He's got real charisma as the bullheaded lead, and the guy playing "Sunshine" looks a lot like Edward Norton. That's funny to me, somehow.

Recommended.
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