Krazy House

Krazy House

A festival of the macabre and very dark humour in the least politically correct film of the year that offends everyone and everything

This is not a film for the sensitive defenders of political correctness and social justice warriors. It is rather the cinematic equivalent of blood gushing from the nose or an annoying rash in your pants. “Krazy House” may be one of the most twisted films we have screened at Splat!FilmFest and that is, obviously, a compliment. The Dutch black comedy with American stars in the lead roles takes no prisoners. It is partly shot like an over-the-top 90s TV sitcom, and on the other hand like an absurdist festival of brutality and the macabre. Its use of this sitcom aesthetic makes what happens on screen feel like a blow between the eyes.

“Krazy House” is the story of a textbook American suburban family: on the surface, they look perfect, but, in reality, they’re rotten to the core. Bernie is henpecked by his wife, Eva, a pathological workaholic. They have two dysfunctional kids and a whole lot of problems. On top of this, Bernie is a slob and every housework chore he attempts ends in tragedy. After a plumbing disaster in the kitchen, Bernie decides to rely on the mercy of Russian labourers who seem to have been taken out of a stereotype playbook. A father and two sons make the lives of Bernie’s family a living hell – the shy daughter turns into a sex vampire and the lonely son uses the little chemist’s kit to produce heroin. A bloodbath and abominations galore begin, with a baby made of sticky chewing gums being the most lightweight. The body count rises fast, any innocence is long gone, and this makes “Krazy House” so great.

The film premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. It is the work of Steffen Haars and Flip van der Kuil, the duo behind the “Ron Goossens, Low Budget Stuntman”. Bernie is portrayed by the wonderful Nick Frost, a British comedian known for “Shaun of the Dead” and “Hot Fuzz”, among others, while Eva is portrayed by the astonishing Alicia Silverstone, a 90s icon.

“Krazy House” is a black comedy with some horror elements. It pokes fun at religious fanaticism, toys with the boundaries set by modern Western society, and checks how far you can go to offend an audience and make them roar with laughter at the same time. It’s the kind of film you’ll be thinking about long after you’ve left the cinema, although we discourage watching it on a first date.