Chili Finger

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Chili Finger

A wild, twisted black comedy where chaos is set in motion by a severed finger

As Jess and Ron try to adjust to life after their daughter leaves for college, a seemingly innocent visit to a local restaurant takes a bizarre turn when Jess finds a human finger in her chili and decides to blackmail the owners. “Chili Finger” is a deliciously dark and absurd comedy, with Bryan Cranston and John Goodman delivering phenomenal performances.

Jess and Ron have just sent their daughter off to college. Their home suddenly feels empty, their finances are getting tighter, and Jess is having a hard time adjusting. Persuaded by Ron to grab a bite at Blake Junior’s, a local fast-food joint owned by a regional chain run by a local tycoon, Jess reluctantly orders a bowl of chili. Something gets stuck in her throat. She digs through the steaming mess and finds a human finger. Seeing an opportunity, she decides to blackmail the owners and squeeze some money out of them. Her plan works surprisingly well, at least until the chain’s boss, Blake Jr., gets involved, along with his loyal sidekick Dave, a former Marine, hunting enthusiast, and firm believer in his own code of honor.

“Chili Finger” is a hilarious black comedy where nothing is quite what it seems, and every colorful character gets their moment to shine. What starts as a bizarre story about a finger in a bowl of chili turns into something much bigger: a Coen-esque tale of absurdity and pitch-black humor that is also, in its own twisted way, surprisingly tender and human. The lonely, severed finger becomes an unlikely excuse to wonder whether happiness exists at all, and whether it is worth worrying about. Beneath the sharp action, snappy dialogue and terrific performances lies a sly, intelligent reflection on the ways we search for happiness. The film also peppers its chaos with clever nods to cinema classics, from “The Big Lebowski” to Hitchcock.

Judy Greer, best known as Karen in the new “Halloween” trilogy, and Sean Astin, who has somehow managed to collect iconic roles in every decade, play Jess and Ron. But the real scene-stealers are John Goodman as Blake Jr. and Bryan Cranston as his slightly folksy, obsessively loyal henchman. Together and apart, they turn every scene into a little showcase of comic brilliance. Directed by Edd Benda and Stephen Helstad, “Chili Finger” is the kind of debut you could count on one hand.