Jared Cohen
Imagine a world where beds devour humans and gingerbread cookies turn into serial killers. Yes, the horror genre is a treasure trove of absurd premises. But not all these eccentric movies are created equal. In my opinion, the best of these peculiar projects are those that take an utterly ludicrous concept and play it completely straight, often unveiling unexpected horrors. Imagine a world where tumors turn homicidal or mad scientists stitch people into human centipedes!
One of my all-time favorite examples of this kind of cinematic absurdity done right is Kevin Smith’s controversial horror-comedy Tusk. This film has divided the horror community, with some loving it and others despising it. As the film celebrates its 10th anniversary, I thought it would be a perfect time to revisit this unique film that dares to question if man is truly a walrus at heart.
The idea for Tusk was born on Kevin Smith’s SModcast in 2013. Smith and his friend Scott Mosier stumbled upon a supposedly real ad where a landlord offered free accommodation to a lodger who agreed to dress up as a walrus. This bizarre agreement inspired Smith and Mosier to create a humorous backstory. Although the ad was later revealed to be a hoax by writer and prankster Chris Parkinson, this memorable podcast episode became the foundation for Smith’s next film.
While waiting for approval for Clerks III (which was eventually released in 2022), Smith developed the idea into a screenplay. He saw it as another opportunity to “showcase Michael Parks in a twisted story” after their collaboration in Red State. The cast later expanded to include genre veteran Justin Long and even Johnny Depp as the French-Canadian detective Guy LaPointe. Smith had originally envisioned Quentin Tarantino for this role after seeing his brief performance in Django Unchained.
In the final film, distributed by A24, Justin Long plays the role of a jaded podcaster, Wallace Bryton, who embarks on a trip to Canada. He gets kidnapped by the enigmatic seaman Howard Howe (Michael Parks). When Howard reveals his plan to transform Wallace into a grotesque recreation of a walrus, it’s up to Teddy (Haley Joel Osment), Ally (Genesis Rodriguez), and the French-Canadian inspector Guy LaPoint (Johnny Depp) to rescue him before it’s too late.
When the movie was first released, many reviewers didn’t quite get it. Some critics even labeled Tusk as one of the worst films of all time. However, I find this baffling, especially considering the film’s impeccable casting and its high-quality production compared to its absurd origins.
Justin Long’s performance in horrific situations is always a delight to watch. Johnny Depp’s portrayal of a bumbling French-Canadian is impossible to ignore. But the real star of this talented ensemble is Michael Parks. His unhinged portrayal of Howard is so iconic that it feels like the film was made just to give this veteran actor a chance to completely let loose.
Like the best classic comedies, the characters in Tusk are oblivious to the humor in their situations. The horror elements are so well executed that you might forget you were laughing just a few minutes ago.
The concept alone is terrifying if you dare to take it seriously. Imagine the body horror of an irreversible transformation at the hands of a madman. The scene where Parks sharpens a tusk while speaking to a wheelchair-bound Justin Long, implying that the bone is his tibia, is truly nightmarish. This only makes the film’s bizarrely mean-spirited depiction of Canada even funnier.
Tusk may not be a perfect film, with a slightly bloated runtime and some uneven jokes. But if Smith’s goal was to create a unique cinematic experience that both shocks and entertains, he certainly succeeded. Your enjoyment of the film will likely depend on your taste for the director’s brand of humor. But this deeply weird story only gets better with age.
So whether you’re in the mood for some extreme body horror or just want to enjoy Michael Parks chewing up the scenery like it’s made of homemade poutine, this bizarre little thriller is still worth revisiting a decade later.
