The Vagrant

The Vagrant is not a film you simply "like" in the traditional sense; it's a film you survive, and you come out the other side a little different. This is a wonderfully bizarre and unapologetically grimy black comedy-horror that feels like it was unearthed from a toxic waste dump behind a 1990s suburban development, and I mean that as the highest compliment.

The film's two greatest assets are its leads. Bill Paxton, as the upwardly-mobile Graham Krakowski, delivers a masterclass in comedic paranoia. Watching his meticulously planned life unravel at the hands of a silent, menacing vagrant is both hilarious and deeply unsettling. He's a Looney Tunes character trapped in a David Lynch nightmare.

And then there's Marshall Bell as the titular Vagrant. In a nearly wordless, transformative performance that channels the same chaotic energy as Gary Oldman in his prime, Bell is genuinely terrifying. He's less a character and more a force of nature-a walking, grime-caked embodiment of existential dread.

Is the movie a mess? Absolutely. The tone careens wildly between slapstick, psychological thriller, and gross-out horror, and it's clear the studio had no idea what to do with it. But its flaws are integral to its charm. It's an ambitious, unhinged, and truly unique film that satirizes the anxieties of homeownership with a sledgehammer. For those who appreciate cinematic oddities and aren't afraid to get their hands dirty, The Vagrant is a cult classic worth digging up.

I love me some Bill Paxton. Everyone should love Bill Paxton. He has since passed away but even before that I viewed him as a national treasure. If you can watch Weird Science, Aliens, The Vagrant, Tombstone, Near Dark, Twister, True Lies, A Simple Plan, or Frailty and not be enamored by him in at least one of those films, you need to re-evaluate your life.

Paxton plays Graham Krakowski a hardworking lower middle class citizen who purchases a fixer-upper. His new purchase is being intruded upon by a vagrant who proceeds to drive him insane. Graham believes the vagrant is a killer but others refuse to believe him. Is Graham going crazy or is this intrusive old man really a murderer?

I had a lot fun watching this slightly unknown gem. It's quirky and fits right in with Paxton's known nuttiness. He turns almost everyone against him as he slowly lets a weird vagrant encroach upon his personal life. Even though he can't afford it, he spends a substantial amount on building a fence around his whole residence, installing alarms and cameras. He becomes extremely paranoid and even dreams about this dirty old vagrant breaking into his house. Maybe he has the right to be paranoid? Give this one a try. Some great low-key humor with some thrills.

This was close to being a lost 80's style horror-comedy classic, but just falls short of the mark in the end. The script was just a touch too weak, the comedy a tad too far between, and the horror not strong enough. With a few tweaks, it could have been great, but as is, it's just a average movie at best. Paxton is game, but the rest just doesn't quite add up.

Corny... YES.... Cheesy... YES...

Still, this movie is highly entertaining. After renting it one day just for the sheer hell of it, I was dying of laughter!! I bought it the very next day! Paxton's comedic skills shine here, in what is a TRUE black comedy... If you are looking for something out of the ordinary to watch, with the potential to floor you with laughter, this is the movie for you! Low budget and all, it is definite entertainment!

Enjoy!

There are good movies and there are bad movies, and then there are movies so delightfully skewed that the terms "good" and "bad" cease to apply. The Vagrant is of this last variety.

Bill Paxton stars as Graham Krakowski, the epitome of young professionalism, who is buying his first home. On his first day in the new house (although "new" is a misnomer; the kitchen looks as if it was last updated around 1966), he walks in on a vagrant (Marshall Bell) hunched over the kitchen sink. Shortly after, he discovers the vagrant living on the vacant lot across the street. What follows is a paranoiac's nightmare; a hilariously twisted game of cat-and-mouse, with the vagrant testing the limits of Krakowski's sanity. The vagrant does such a good job of driving him crazy that nobody believes Krakowski when he insists the vagrant is out to get him. Especially skeptical is Michael Ironside, playing a dense-as-a-cement-block police lieutenant (with the unlikely name of Ralf Barfuss, no less). When Krakowski calls the police after finding the vagrant in his house eating a sandwich, Barfuss asks (with a sort of gleeful maliciousness), "And what kind of sandwich was this alleged man eating?"

When the murders start, nobody listens to Krakowski, who is convinced the vagrant is to blame. Barfuss is dead-set on nailing Krakowski for the murders, and even Graham's best friend questions his sanity.

This is the first horror movie I've watched where I was sure everything I was laughing at was actually intended to be funny. I knew I was having fun about 15 minutes into the movie, when the following exchange took place -

KRAKOWSKI: Quick, I think he(the vagrant)'s getting ready to urinate!

COP 1: Should we call for back-up?

COP 2: There's no time!

The Vagrant moves along at a pretty good clip, and the story, particularly the second half, plays out like one of the more surreal episodes of Tales from the Crypt. The balance between horror and comedy is a bit uneven, bordering on the ridiculously stupid at times, but still enjoyable. Michael Ironside is great in a rare comedic performance (although a larger role would have been nice); Marshall Bell's vagrant is an over-the-top boogyman who jumps out periodically to scare Bill Paxton; and it's just plain FUN watching Paxton degenerate from an uptight, neurotic yuppie to a scruffy, gun-toting trailer-park manager.

B+ if you're a fan of tongue-in-cheek horror-comedy or the main stars;

C- (or less) if you're a cinematic snob.