With the recent release and critical acclaim ofWeapons, writer/director Zach Cregger has proven that the success ofBarbarianwasn’t a fluke or the result of the planets being aligned in just the right way. In the vein of Jordan Peele, Cregger has proven that he’s one of the best new horror directors to look out for with his screenwriting talent, a good eye with a camera, and the ability to build tension. Let’s talk about one of his lesser movies.
Reviews and articles online keep declaringWeaponsas his sophomore film, but it’s actually the third movie he’s ever directed. Back in 2009, with fellowWhitest Kids U’Knowalum Trevor Moore, Cregger co-wrote and co-directed the gross-out sex comedyMiss March.
If you haven’t seenMiss March, the story follows Eugene (Cregger), who, after an accident at a high school party, ends up falling into a four-year coma only to wake up to find out that his high school sweetheart, Cindi (Raquel Alessi), is now a centerfold Playboy model. He then goes—against his will—on a road trip with his best friend Tucker (Moore) to reunite with her. Considering this is a road trip movie, you can expect there to be no hijinks to ensue or wacky characters to meet along the way.
Miss Marchdidn’t do well in the box office and currently holds a 5% rating on Rotten Tomatoes—which is still 2% better than the recentWar of the Worldsmovie—and while it’s not a great movie or even that funny of a comedy, it’s unique just for the night-and-day comparison of how Cregger grew as a filmmaker.
As stated earlier, one of his strengths is the technical aspect of his films. As a solo filmmaker, he came out of the gates swinging with Barbarian, with cinematography that he’s gone on record stating was inspired by both David Fincher and Sam Raimi films. Those are two drastically different styles that shouldn’t blend at all, but he did it expertly with cinematographer Zach Kuperstein.
Weaponsalso looks great—when you can see what’s happening—and, again, feels very Fincher-esque. By comparison,Miss Marchfeels very point-and-shoot and visually flat, bearing more of a resemblance toWhitest Kids U’Know. If you haven’t seen the show, it’s the funniest sketch comedy series that requires surgeon-level precision in who you recommend it to. It’s like trying to recommend Scene 27 ofOur RoboCop Remake.Either they'll love it, or it'll be the last time they ever speak to you.
Anyway, the film plays more like a running sketch across multiple episodes of the show, similar to what they did withCivil War on Drugs. It’s also obviously closer tonally to what you would expect from a movie created by members of a comedy troupe.
Oddly enough,Barbarianfeels more in line, structurally, to aWKUKsketch, especially the more elaborate ones. Their funniest sketches are the ones that have a simple premise that expands and goes into outlandish directions. If you watch the "Classroom" skit, "Cubicle Boss", or the "Genie" sketch, they’ll almost definitely not end the way you’d think they will.Barbarianhad that explosive unpredictability to it, but that’s not really the case forMiss March. It’s straightforward and plays out pretty much exactly how you would expect, minus some brief moments of absurdity, like the visual of two firetrucks encircling the duo’s car with firemen waving axes around like lunatics. It's such a bizarre image that if it moves tonally a few degrees to the left, it’s something out ofWKUK, and a few degrees to the right, it’s something out ofWeapons.
Speaking ofWeapons, there are a couple of strange parallels thatMiss Marchhas to Cregger’s most recent outing, whether they were intentional or not. Some things could be considered circumstantial, like having a wacky occurrence at a gas station, a nightmare sequence, and the main leads having a run-in at the hospital, but both films also have an instance of side characters being stabbed repeatedly in the face with a fork. Usually, that’d be a one-time thing, but Cregger felt differently. It’s a good thing, too, since that’s one of the more horrific moments inWeapons.
Also—and this might be a stretch—after watching the two movies almost back-to-back, Amy Madigan’s performance as Gladys feels like a more disturbing version of Trevor Moore’s performance inMiss March. Not the moments where she’s overtly sinister, but the times when she has to put up a front. Her energized faux-cheerful attitude and rubber face expressions feel oddly similar to Moore as Tucker, who’s an intentionally exaggerated and cartoon-like character. It’s as if they’re at opposite ends of the spectrum of how zaniness can be used for comedy and horror.
Miss Marchacts almost as a unique transitional project betweenZach Cregger’scomedic television work inWhitest Kids U’Knowand his acclaimed film work in the horror genre, for which he’s quickly becoming a household name. It also demonstrates both his growth as a technical filmmaker and his progression as a screenwriter and storyteller, not to mention his efficiency with a budget.Miss Marchhas roughly the same budget asBarbarian, estimated at around $4.6 million, whereasBarbarianwas $4.5 million. Not quite sure where the money went. That is, unless a beardless pre-Comedy Central Roasting Anthony Jeselnik asked for a steep salary for a walk-on bit part…oh yeah, he’s in this too.
Get more movie news from FlickSided:
Add us as a preferred source onGoogle