This Irish film is a great watch for lighting up the mood, especially in this dark time. Just submit to its absurdity to enjoy the riches.
Cast - Maeve Higgins, Barry Ward, Will Forte, Claudia O'Doherty, Terri Chandler, Risteárd Cooper, Emma Coleman
Directed By - Mike Ahern, Enda Loughman
Genre - Horror, Comedy
Horror-Comedy, a successful genre, is not easy to crack. There are chances of one side spilling over the other, diluting the whole experience. Only a few films have been successful with this experiment, like the 2018 hit Stree. But Extra Ordinary is a very different kind of horror-comedy, it is mostly comedy and one of those rare films which bring out the comedy in horror. This gives rise to scenes like a possessed goat levitating in the air, a man being possessed by a dog and a hole, a person taking care of a body floating in mid-air, and so on. If you have a liking towards oddball, eccentric comedies, and if the above scenarios made you excited, then Extra Ordinary is the perfect match for you. Believe me when I say that this is one of the funniest and weirdest films you will watch this year. Just wait till you catch sight of the collective screaming in the end or two cars following a slowly moving body suspended in mid-air. It is hilarious.
Rose Dooley (Maeve Higgins) is a sweet looking driving instructor with a past involving the death of her father in which she has a hand. Due to that incident, Rose has quit being the paranormal expert of the town. However, people still throw in voicemails, which she gladly ignores until a man named Martin Martin (Barry Ward) calls her up to take driving lessons with an intention to ask for help in a ghost-related issue. Martin lives with his daughter Sarah (Emma Coleman) and a dead wife who still performs some household duties from beyond the graves. She leaves messages in the shower and on a bread toast. A frustrated Sarah asks him to choose between her and the wife, and so he finds himself talking with Rose Dooley. Also not far from them lives Christian Winter (Will Forte), a famous singer known for his one hit song as the rest of them even failed to make it to the top list. He has now turned to the demonic side for success in his career, and for that to happen, a sacrifice of a virgin woman must take place. Thanks to her wife Claudia (Claudia O'Doherty), his latest victim is blown into pieces. On the search for his next target, he comes across Sarah and marks her for the sacrifice. And so, Martin calls Rose for help. Notice how this scene visually calls back to The Exorcist (1973). Hell, even Sarah, is floating on the top of the bed like how it was in that movie. But then unnecessarily, the characters go on referencing the film for a couple of dialogues. Stop, we get it. For saving Sarah, they have to collect ectoplasm from seven ghosts and rub it on her face. Yuck.
From the word go, Extra Ordinary swipes into its crazy mode and fulfills the promise of a hugely entertaining film till the very end. Its Wes Anderson like smooth pans, Edgar Wright like editing and occasional switch between TV view to normal view is fun to watch. Although the pans are discarded in between, and it becomes noticeable that two directors were behind the camera, which is not a major problem. Still, I wish it would have been covered up better with some continuity. James Mather's commendable cinematography and Gavin Buckley's crisp editing keep the pace smooth and running. All the performances were up to the mark, which is one of the essential aspects of a quirky film like this. If your actors are not on board, then the whole thing could go to hell. Thankfully, it is not a problem here. They make the love story part and the scene with the delivery of a baby enjoyable to watch.
At a dark time like this, a good laugh could lift away some burden. For those willing to submit to absurdity, Extra Ordinary would provide an excellent time for them, and for others, I think they should try seeing something different for a change. After all, this is the right time to expose yourself to the variety of content out there. It will surely not bite.
Rating - 4/5
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