Film Review: Rubber (2010)

I love a good independent left side of the road horror film as much as the next guy, but sometimes the premise is so ridiculous and juvenile that you have to continue watching the rest of the film with your brain shut off....just to somewhat enjoy the film for what it is.


I watched the Quentin Dupieux directed, Rubber, last night in the comfort of my own home as it is available on VOD as of last Friday (of course if you are reading this a year from the posted date then that last detail doesn't really mean anything). Now...I'm not going to be among the many reputable horror sites out there championing this film as one of the best horror films in recent memory. The film is what it is....nothing more. Although, it attempts to be somewhat "clever" in some moments....it is overall an exercise in futility and inside jokedom (I know....that word doesn't exist...but, neither should have this film).

Ok...so, Rubber is a film about a tire that comes to life somewhere in the Californian desert and begins dispatching living creatures once it figures out that it possesses phychokinetic powers similar to those displayed in the much better film, Scanners. The tire begins on a journey to hunt down the female lead once she is introduced driving along the road in a vintage red Cabriolet. During the course of the film, the tire kills several people via head explosions and is eventually surrounded by the police in an attempt to "kill" the deadly tire. That's pretty much the film. Now...before I go on...I would like to also explain that the film tries to be witty by letting you know in the opening scene that it is a study on random events. One of the characters climbs out of a car trunk and explains all these random things that happened in other bigger films...then, informs you that this film will mostly do that for the rest of its running time...then climbs back into the trunk from whence he came from. Stupid. Might as well throw in a disclaimer in front of every goddamn film to give it that "art house" cred.

Another failed gimmick in the film is the use of the "film within a film" premise. We are shown an audience looking on at the same film that you are watching and you are led to believe that these people are symbolic to the random films that Hollywood force feeds down our throats. This might've worked in a better film...but, here it just becomes annoying. I usually hate soapbox preaching in my horror movies when it becomes distracting to the entire entity. I seriously would have shut off the film in the first 15 minutes had it not been for me needing a new review for Film Deviant. The only real treat I was given for my wavering persistence was a shot of Roxane Mesquida's ass as she climbs into a motel shower while the villainous tire is peeping into her room....but, as one of the "audience members" pointed out how unimpressive her ass was....I pretty much felt the same about the entire film.

I'm sure the little subplot about the sheriff plotting to poison the audience members in which to end the entire film means something and is probably funny on its own...but, here it is just another annoying distraction...trying its best to fool you into thinking that this film is better and smarter than it really is. And maybe this film is smart....I just didn't really give a fuck.

Alas....the film doesn't amount to anything. It's as if one of those annoying yuppie-turned-hipsters got a once clever idea into his skinny-jeaned head and asked his parents for some money in which to turn said clever idea into a film. Then, during filming.....forgetting the entire idea and just going with whatever seemed funny or "cool" at the time and instead concentrating most of his creative energy on the bombastic soundtrack all while being high out of his fucking gourd on meth. In the end.....this film would've served better as one of those film school short films made for a project in which to illustrate the existence of random film making. If you have absolutely nothing else to do with your time....then, I would suggest putting this film on in the background while baking a cake at the same time. While there are certainly moments in the film that are funny on a low-brow level, you'll find that once you are done baking your cake.....at least you'll have something fun to eat after the film is over....and you wouldn't have missed anything important in the film. I know....that baking a cake shit doesn't make any sense....but, neither does this fucking movie. Probably would've been much more significant and meaningful had I been high out of my mind.

What's probably most impressive about this film about a tire that goes on a killing spree rampage is that it actually got made. Rubber is a film that will attempt to draw a line dead center separating audience members that love the film from those who hate it. I don't really hate the film....but, I don't necessarily like it, either. It's a film that exists seemingly for the sole purpose of existing. Doesn't mean it's good.

Rubber gets 4 out of 10 malevolent tricycles.

Recommendation: DVR It When Available

Thanks for reading,

bryan.