WFG RATING: A+

A Troma Entertainment production. Directed by Lloyd Kaufman. Produced by Justin Martell and John Brennan. Written by Gabriel Friedman and Lloyd Kaufman; based on “The Tempest” by William Shakespeare. Cinematography by Lucas Pitassi. Edited by Seby X. Martinez.

Stars Lloyd Kaufman, Kate McGarrigle, Erin Miller, Amanda Flowers, Abraham Sparrow, Zoe Geltman, Dylan Greenberg, Frazer Brown, Monique Dupree, Zac Amico, Vada Callisto, and Debbie Rochon.

One of the kings of the indie movie unleashes an adaptation of William Shakespeare’s The Tempest, but only in the demented chaotic world that he knows in one of the best Troma-tic films in recent years.

During the 80s, Prospero Duke and his sister Antoinette were scientists who were successfully able to find cures for various diseases. However, after being hired by pharmaceutical head Big Al, Prospero’s ego got the best of him and after a freak accident, he had decided to focus on why he wanted to help the world. Unfortunately, a cure for opioid addiction resulted in his being ousted from his now money-minded sister and Big Al. When he attempted to go to the press, he is deemed a pariah in the eyes of everyone.

Present day. The time has come for Prospero to exact his revenge on his sister and Big Al. As the duo hold a major party aboard a ship, Prospero creates a literal s**tstorm from whales that results in the ship having to board what they think is an island. It is actually the town of Tromaville, New Jersey. When the party heads to a local club to continue partying, a new drug called Tempest is passed at the party. Little do the partygoers know that this drug is a killer! But what will happen when Prospero’s daughter falls for the mild-mannered level-headed son of Big Al?

With the passing of the Godfather of the B-movie, Roger Corman, in 2024, someone needed to carry the torch of becoming one of the Kings of independent cinema. Look no further than “Uncle” Lloyd Kaufman, the founder of 52-year company Troma Entertainment. Starting out with teen comedies, Troma’s trademark form of cinema came with 1984’s The Toxic Avenger and since then, Kaufman has been doing what he has done best…push the envelope, meshing absurdist comedy with horror-style gore effects and to this day, it is one of the most successful film companies in indie cinema.

With his upcoming film The Power of Positive Murder on the horizon, it was time to finally see this movie, which was released during the pandemic. Kaufman took the Shakespeare tale The Tempest and gave it his Troma-tic spin on things and he goes no holds barred with this film. The film’s title is perfectly fit and there is quite an ensemble cast of characters who really take the cake (and Tempest) with Kaufman himself in dual roles as the revenge-seeking Prospero and his money-grubbing sister Antoinette.

Those who have followed Troma’s amazing output for decades will get to see various cast members having fun with their roles. Debbie Rochon clearly has fun when she appears in a Troma film and her role as a power-hungry Senator who has connections with our big pharma baddie defines it. Amanda Flowers is hilarious as Ariel, a lady of the night whose bad experiences left her with a voice box and paralyzed from the waist down. Yet, she is loyal to Prospero and helps him do his bidding with some of her cohorts to lead the party into the nightclub.

But what’s Shakespeare without some kind of forbidden love story? In this case, it involves Kate McGarrigle’s Miranda, Prospero’s blind daughter and Big Al’s level-headed son Ferdinand, played by Erin Miller. While all this goes on, there are two people, the first to witness the sh*tstorm who give social commentary on things and then decide to go all Batman’s signal when they learn who is responsible. In the midst of all that goes on, we are treated to some hilarious musical numbers and all out chaotic finale that is the definition of Troma is all about…it’s everything PLUS the damn kitchen sink?! (or may as well be)

#ShakespearesSh*tstorm shows why Troma is one of the best indie film companies today. Their no holds barred approach of combining absurdist comedy, horror-style gore, and in this case, Shakespeare, may not get any Academy Awards, but it definitely wins an award in the hearts of indie cinema fans…or it should. It does for this one!

The film is streaming on Plex and Troma NOW. Subscribe to Troma NOW to get your first month free and then it’s only $4.99/month after. Join the Troma Army today!