Yale is addicted to his phone, it is rarely out of his hand apart from when he is having sex with whomever eventually gave in to his barrage of texts and online flirting. One morning he wakes up without it though and, by coincidence, has stabbing pains in his hand, which also starts to rise up in boils. It quickly becomes clear that his phone is going to become an even more critical part of his life.
There is plenty to like about this film and it is unfortunate that mostly is in the manner of delivery rather than the content. The film has lots of energy and in this way it matches the lead character in his fast pace and need for instant attention etc. I've no knowledge or skill in this area so cannot tell you how it was made, but the camera spins around very nicely to create sweeping effects and the sense of movement and time in a very good way. The plot is nothing new in terms of the ideas; perhaps it is new in relation to the modern application but it does very much remind me of Cronenberg's body horror and Videodrome in particular. However the point about the narcissistic nature of social media and the irony of them making connections easier while also causing us all to ignore those around us while inside our own bubble, is really not a new one.
It tries to work as a comment on this, a comedy, a horror and others but I'm ultimately not sure what it was trying to do and the point about connecting to yourself rather than looking outwards for validation is an odd one made in an odd way (although at least explains the misspelled title). Kirkland throws himself into his role and sells it the best he can – it is a performance that the film needs and if it doesn't all come together it is certainly not his fault. There is a lot to like in here but it is a shame that the various styles all given an oddly changing tone, while the material is not as insightful or clever as it thinks it is and the comedy, although dark, doesn't work as well as it could have either.
