Editor’s Note: The following mentions the topics of sexual violence and sexually explicit content.
As the name suggests,splatter and extreme horror are not for the weak. If you are a fan of the gross-out gore and the very fringe ends of horror, you’ve likely heard ofA Serbian Film,Ichi The Killer, orMartyrs.All three come to mind when fans think about the grossest horror films they’ve seen, and they’ve made almost every list imaginable for nearly unwatchable horror films. Many have been banned in multiple countries because of that explicit content. If you were to watch these, you’d wonder how anyone could develop such depraved storylines. Well, you’re in luck…or maybe… unluck?We have a contender that is being named the grossest movie ever made, and its name isKuso.
Premiering at the Sundance Film Festival in 2017, it has flown under the radar a bit, as most fringe films do. Kuso is one of those films that you read about and are equally disgusted by what is said and intrigued enough to take the plunge.Flying Lotus, the director of the film, tried to warn viewers when he previewed a shortened version of the film by handing out barf bags. It wasn’t just for show and giggles, either, asthere are definitely some vomit-worthy moments in this film.
What Is ‘Kuso’ About?
Kusois actually an anthology body horror film.Flying Lotus created four short films and mashed them togetherto create a Frankenstein-esque abomination of a film. The premise is that a deadly earthquake has struck Los Angeles, and what remains is very post-apocalyptic. This isn’t a regular earthquake, though; it’s a cool earthquake. Somehow, that natural disaster caused a widespread mutation in those inhabiting the city. The four segments are “Royal”, “Mr. Quiggle”, “Sock”, and “Smear”.
“Royal” features a brother-sister couple, Missy (Iesha Rochelle) and Kenneth (Oumi Zumi), who are into intense S&M. As part of a mutation, Missy and Kenneth are covered in boils like everyone else in the city, and one of these boils provides Kenneth with fellatio. Yes, you read that correctly! The first three minutes ofKusoreally set the tone, and the “Royal” segment sets the tone for just how muchfake bodily fluids can be used, oozed,and squirted on camera.
The next segment, “Mr. Quiggle”, is equally absurd. The Buttress (Bethany Schmitt) lives with two roommates best described as fuzzy cartoon characters named The Banishers. Those fuzzy characters killed her parents and basically held her against her will in their home. The Buttress eventually finds out that she is pregnant as a result of being sexually assaulted from her downstairs neighbor. This neighbor climbs up through her toilet, covered in excrement, and assaults The Buttress this way. She makes her way to an abortion clinic, where she comes into contact with Manuel (Zach Fox), who has an intense phobia of women’s breasts. Manuel receives a unique treatment for his phobia that involves a cockroach and an anus.
Next up on the docket, “Sock” continues the trend of anal sphincters. Angel (Mali Matsuda) is a woman living in what appears to be a subterranean home at the bottom of the same apartment complex where Missy, Kenneth, and The Buttress live. She thinks her doll is her real baby and becomes worried when her “baby” goes missing. In search of the doll, she tumbles down a hole in the hellscape of the apartment complex. Here’s where the derrière comes into play, as the hole she falls into leads her to what appears to be the anus of a very strange creature.
Last but not least, “Smear” continues the overarching theme of butts. Charlie (Shane Carpenter) lives with his mother and attends school in a one-room shack. While he is away at school, his mother works as a sex worker, and when he comes home, they eat what ispresumably the body parts of her clients. After eating, Charlie wanders off into the woods to visit his best friend, a mysterious creature that resembles an anus. Charlie and the creature’s bonding time includes feeding the gaping hole his feces. A truer connection has never been formed.
How Did Audiences Feel About ‘Kuso’?
you’re able to presume what most people have said about it if you’ve read this far. WhenKusopremiered at Sundance,around 20 out of 400 people left the filmduring the first segment.One article byThe Vergelikens the film to a quote fromKuso. That quote is, “This is art. This is shit. Art is shit.” These reviews are slightly mixed, as some viewers loved it and it’s very deep symbolism and others hated it and couldn’t get past the gross-out aspect. If you make it through the 100-minute runtime, you might need therapy. Many moments withinKusoare extremely triggering, so it is best to tread cautiously. There are mentions of rape, full-frontal nudity, and sexual acts that are shown in detail all the way through to completion.
If you are someone who pays attention to IMDb ratings or Rotten Tomatoes,Kusohas a 4.9 out of 10 rating on IMDb and 56% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes.Kusowon two awards in 2017 upon its release. At the Splat! Film Festival, it won Most Shocking Film and Best Special Effects. If you can get past the copious amounts of excrement and body fluid, the special effects and animation make for a surrealistic landscape that sometimes feels like an acid trip. The consensus is that themidnight-hour-watching, fringe horror loverswill revereKusobecause of its absurdity and will find the allegories hidden behind boils, rotting body parts, and sex organs.
Who Is Flying Lotus, and Why Did He Make ‘Kuso’?
Flying Lotus, also known asSteven EllisonorFlyLo, is a Los Angeles music producer, musician, and filmmaker.Kusowas his directorial debut, and if you are a horror fan, you may recognize his name fromV/H/S/99, as he was the director of theOzzy’s Dungeonsegment in that film.According toThe Fader, Flying Lotus was inspired to create animation after discovering a GIF of himself. Once it was found, he threw himself into makingKusoover a two-and-a-half-year period. FlyLo reveals thatKusohas an ever-changing perception to him. One day, he would describe it as a musical, the next as a slapstick comedy, and the next a bizarro horror. He also mentions that the main characters followed in each segment are representations of his deepest, darkest fears and parts of his personality.
AfterKusogot a lot of press at Sundance, he didn’t want it overlooked because of how gross it was. To him,there is a lot of art and deeper meanings below the blistering, boiling, squirting surface. Inan interview withThe Guardian, FlyLo reveals that he wanted to push boundaries by doing things others wouldn’t. Racism in LA was a big inspiration for FlyLo in elements ofKuso, so he made it a point for almost all the characters in the film to be predominantly black. Much like the puss-filled boils on the screen, sometimes sex, racism, and other turmoil can feel like it’s reaching a head or boiling point, and, eventually, it will burst. FlyLo may have a different execution of portraying those elements in a film, but he surely knows how to create atruly unforgettable body horror film.
