WFG RATING: A

A Kinematics production in association with Rough House Pictures. Directed by Mark H. Rapaport. Produced by Siyu Lin, Mark H. Rapaport, and Anthony Argento. Written by Kimball Farley and Mark H. Rapaport. Cinematography by William Babcock. Edited by Nik Voytas.

Stars Kimball Farley, Lilla Kizlinger, Eliza Roberts, Jesse Pimental, and the voice of Eric Roberts.

This movie, from director Mark H. Rapaport, brings a completely insane meaning to the term “dysfunctional family” but does well thanks to its lead stars.

Hippo is a 17-year-old young man who lives with his mother Ethel and his adopted Hungarian sister Buttercup. An avid gamer, Hippo tends to want to blur the lines between fantasy and reality. He is always mad at the world and yet has curiosities like Buttercup. Brought up originally in a strict religious home, Buttercup was given up and Ethel took her in. To say Hippo and Buttercup’s relationship is complicated is a complete understatement. 

When Buttercup decides to become curious about being with a man for the first time, she searches online and eventually meets a not-too-good fellow in Darwin. When Hippo begins to feel uncomfortable with Darwin and think he may harm Buttercup, he does the unthinkable. However, it goes beyond the surface as to why he did it and this event becomes the catalyst for a series of unfortunate events that will change these two’s lives forever. 

The creation of director Mark H. Rapaport and lead star Kimball Farley, this is one of the wildest films that can be said to redefine the term “dysfunctional family”, as it focuses on the complicated (and that’s putting it loosely) relationship between the titular character, played by Farley, and his adopted sister Buttercup, played by Lilla Kizlinger, a Hungarian actress who makes her American film debut here.

Eliza Roberts is terrific as the siblings’ mother Ethel. While she respects and sometimes spoils Hippo (to where she buys him a crossbow for his birthday), she tends to be overprotective of Buttercup due to her own sordid past. She tends to be quirky at times, especially in a pivotal scene where she explains the birds and the bees to both Hippo and Buttercup. 

The scenes with Jesse Pimentel as Darwin amps up the cringe factor. He gives off a very creepy vibe which Hippo picks up from the get-go. It is when Darwin and Buttercup decide to go to her room is where the cringe factor goes up to one hundred and this would lead to an unbelievable third act that destroys the walls of taboos. If that’s not insane enough, the film ends on a jaw-dropping note that you must see for yourself. 

Hippo definitely redefines “family dysfunction” to a level of insanity. Lilla Kizlinger definitely stands out for her American debut and Kimball Farley turns in a tour de force performance in the titular role. Definitely a must see for indie fans.

The film will be released in select theaters on November 8.