The Horror Show
Parts Unknown
by Richard Chandler
There’s a surprising amount going on in Parts Unknown a film which is, on the surface, an occult-tinged gorefest. In diving a little deeper, however, it actually has quite a lot to say about the state of the world in which we live; one we are desperately attempting to both connect to and disconnect from. You may not think so from an initial glance at the synopsis, though it’s still an intriguing one.
Parts Unknown centres around an outcast and downtrodden family of misfit wrestlers, the Von Strassers, who turn their violent energies against the people who have either wronged them or ignored them. However, in doing so, they also stumble upon another outlet for their frustrations in the service of an otherworldly entity who demands blood sacrifice to sustain and enhance its life force. And so, a new chapter in the town’s history of strange occult happenings begins.
Fans of Rob Zombie's balls-to-the-wall insanity will find a lot to love in here; from the deliberately and terminally unhinged central family to the constant middle fingers to the society that has made outcasts of them all. Kitty Von Strasser (Sarah Michelle) is serving us some definite Baby Firefly realness, and her brother, Hermann (William Decoff), even bears a striking resemblance to Zombie favourite Richard Brake.
There are also a few moments of perfectly-pitched humour and at times you really feel the family’s driving pain. Their lifelong pursuit has been reduced to nothing more than a by-the-numbers circus at which people would rather look at their phones than the action, and the scars they bear from years of injury and violence are both physically and mentally evident. This is almost entirely down to Decoff who carries the weight of the central premise and the bulk of the emoting on his psychopathic shoulders.
You may find it difficult to empathise with them, however, and there are moments where you may find it near impossible to like them, but you at least always buy that they are bonded by more than just their circumstances. The Von Strassers and their satellite surrogates are quite literally family trauma on steroids and underneath it all, there is definitely a grim reality to that sort of toxic codependency that Parts Unknown never shies away from. A showdown in the closing moments finds Kitty asked outright why she is so cruel and her reply, in a rare moment of grounded sincerity, is simply "There's nothing else to be."
And that's it. That's all there is. You believe it.
There are also some heavy Tarantino vibes from the get go here, too. The Funky Fanfare "Our Feature Presentation" title card at the outset raised an eyebrow and the K.B.I.L.L.Y.-style radio shout outs that gave Reservoir Dogs an excuse for one of the greatest soundtracks ever was a nice little nod. It's jarring then, but oddly intriguing, when not a quarter through the runtime we shift stance once more and heavy synth and fog are pumped onto the screen in equal measure, and we're suddenly in Lucio Fulci/City of the Living Dead territory.
Amid the barrage of references and winks there is a danger of forgetting the film’s unique selling point which is the wrestling. This, sadly, is where the film falls flattest. Despite promising violent setups, never do you feel any real impact from the stunt work or fight choreography. The punches are clearly pulled and the blows are softened, but not with any seamless spectacle you might get at a WWE fight. They lack credibility given these are supposed to be blood matches between real scrappers.
You do have to give props to one of the most grotesque bits of nipple play you're ever likely to see on screen, however, and it is certainly enough to shock the ring's — and the movie's — audience out of its complacency. There are other scenes of absolutely magnificent shock and gore throughout, but in allowing most of them to take place outside of the ring you can’t help but feel the central gimmick was somewhat of an afterthought.
Mother of Mercy (Alexandra Cipolla), an early (sort of) victim of the Von Strasser siblings, is the only real force for good in the film, but aside from an odd and completely inexplicable costume choice she has no real identity or overall purpose until some end-credits stings where pieces start to fall into place.
Influence and homage are all well and good, but beyond that a film must have something to say in and of itself that can build upon what came before. The Walking Dead's Negan had Lucille, a seasoned, handcrafted statement of intent; Hermann has a blood-stained plank loosely wrapped in barbed wire that unfortunately more closely resembles intimidating cotton candy. In this regard, and many others, Parts Unknown sadly never rises to meet its influences, nor does it give more than passing glimpses of originality. There is originality there, however, begging for someone to take a chance on it, and the closing moments do indeed boast another intriguing genre shift and stoke curiosity for a sequel which builds upon some solid foundations laid here and there. For that reason, Parts Unknown is, in all, certainly an admirable venture into genre filmmaking.
HMS received a screener of this film in exchange for honest review. Parts Unknown is out now On Demand.
Ryan Kennedy, HMS
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