All Jacked Up and Full of Worms Review from Screambox!
All Jacked Up and Full of Worms is an ultra bizarro, wigged out feature film debut from director Alex Phillips (Pushing Mongo, Who’s A Good Boy, Happy Place). I’m honestly confused about what I just watched so I guess Phillips has done his job here? The movie is a fever dream of hallucinogenic worm snorting mayhem. I love weird for the sake of weird but at least give me some basis of what I am following and why. All Jacked Up and Full of Worms is entertaining but I did find myself struggling at times trying to follow the mishmash of events on screen. It’s unique and original so I will give credit where credit is due.
We are introduced to a bunch of characters struggling in different ways to cope with their lives. Desperation to fulfill needs to satisfy their hunger of belonging, tumultuous relationships, distorted reality, and of course big fucking bunches of mud encrusted worms.
I’ve read director Alex Phillips spent some time in mental institutions in his twenties. Using these experiences in the psychiatric ward to fuel the deranged opus that is All Jacked Up and Full of Worms. Phillips introduces his characters but unfortunately, they are not that likeable, flawed yes, but ultimately a plethora of damaged humans intent on trudging away in their own nonsensical existence meanwhile using the earthworm as a metaphor for drugs administered to escape their botched lives of merely existing.
Enter Roscoe (Phillip Andre Botello) a cleaner at a seedy hotel. Roscoe’s odd girlfriend Samantha (Betsey Brown) has brought another man into their strange relationship, and they do some rather questionable things. We are then introduced to Benny (Trevor Dawkins) who is obviously a spineless fuckup intent on being a father at all costs. His delusions are so extreme he orders a literal baby infant sex doll (fucked I know, especially due to the fact there are scumbags out there actually selling and making money off this deplorable garbage).
Benny has a sexual encounter with a prostitute named Henrietta (Eva Fellows) at the dive hotel where Roscoe works. In probably one of my favorite lines in the film Henrietta says to Benny, “You wanna be my baby or my daddy?” Henrietta is probably the quirkiest and most likable character in the film.
Even though Benny can’t finish the deed he still manages to somehow knock up Henrietta. Meanwhile Roscoe finds worms that Henrietta left behind in the room. He takes them home and eats/snorts them with his wife/wife’s boyfriend and she gets fucked up big time, even frothing at the mouth like a rabid dog.
Eventually Benny and Roscoe form a bizarre relationship and go on a worm ingesting psychedelic binge. The two inch further into a downward spiral culminating in a crazed body horror infested conclusion.
All Jacked Up and Full of Worms was picked up by Screambox, a streaming channel ran by Bloody Disgusting. It premiered at Fantasia and was an official selection of Fantastic Fest. If you’re looking for David Cronenberg mixed with John Waters, sprinkled with The Greasy Strangler, then All Jacked Up and Full of Worms might be your thing. It’s a bit of a disjointed mess but it has enough gross out shit and drug enhanced madness to keep it fresh and alive. I just found myself having to finish it in multiple sittings. I won’t forget it, so there’s that!
AKA: Naszprycowani robakami
Directed by: Alex Phillips
Written by: Alex Phillips
Produced by: Georgia Bernstein, Ben Gojer, Alex Phillips
Cinematography by: Drew Angle
Editing by: Troy Lewis
Special Effects by: Corrine Ashley, Ben Gojer, Frances Mullozzi, Cyle Williamson, Catherine Woods
Music by: Cue Shop
Cast: Phillip Andre Botello, Sammy Arechar, Betsey Brown, Betsey Brown, Mike Lopez, Eva Fellows, Trevor Dawkins
Year: 2022
Country: USA
Language: English
Colour: Colour
Runtime: 1h 12min
Studio: Special Movies, Eleven04 Productions, Full Spectrum Features
Distributor: Cinedigm, Fandor, Screambox
Official Website: All Jacked Up and Full of Worms
