Like the cult member being primed for the afterlife in his new comedy, the fabulously funny Let’s Start a Cult, comedian Stavros Halkias is ready to transcend. In real life, that is. From his successful 2023 Netflix special Fat Rascal and role in Tires to his hilarious old Cumtown and new Stavvy’s World podcasts, Halkias is on the precipice of newfound stardom. This is a huge talent to keep your eyes on (if you haven’t been tracking him already) and Halkias’ absurdly funny, in-your-face humor propels Let’s Start a Cult, which he co-wrote with director Ben Kitnick and costar Wes Haney. This is oneof the best comedies of the 2020s.
The film’s premise is the perfect kind of dangling carrot, keeping audiences thoroughly engaged in the offbeat tale. When bro-gross and obnoxious Chip Harper (Halkias) misses out on his cult’s long-planned ritual suicide, the insufferable soul stumbles upon his shady ex-messiah, William (Haney), yet again, and together they decide to rebuild their tragic commune. Hilarity ensues as they travel through Middle America, recruiting “lost souls” along the way.
The film couldn’t have arrived at a better time, what with the state of politics, world dilemmas, and social media burnout. These belly laughs are genuine and refreshing, recalling recent memorable mockumentaries which also hit their creative mark so well — Borat Subsequent Moviefilm and Theater Camp immediately come to mind. But it's Halkias who emerges here as a creative force ready to have his moment in the spotlight.
An Absurdist Comedy to Put in the Queue
After missing out on a long-awaited mass suicide, an obnoxious cult member teams up with his former leader to gain a new following.
- Release Date
- October 25, 2024
- Director
- Ben Kitnick
- Runtime
- 1h 29m
- Stavros Halkias continues to prove he's one of the best things to happen to comedy in recent years.
- A delightful supporting cast portrayed in surreal, over-the-top ways.
- Clever writing that skewers self-help culture and plans out its jokes wisely.
- It's logically ridiculous at many points and may evoke some eye-rolls.
The initial big joke set-up of Let’s Start of a Cult is that a cult member is such a social outcast that even their chosen family wants to make a mad dash away from him. This is immediately established early on when Chip is asked in a video recording for the cult, dubbed The Cosmic Dynasty, “Why do you think you're ready to transcend?” His answer: “I mean, because it sounds f***ing sick, honestly." He goes on to comment how nice it would be to have a threesome with Marilyn Monroe and how in Heaven, “being gay is not bad… it’s actually cool.” That’s our Chip.
After annoying his fellow cult members at every turn, cult leader Will sends Chip off on an errand. When he returns, he discovers the cult members went through their group suicide without him. Flash forward three months later, and Chip is living back with his family, who are equally grating. Fate steps in, and somehow it reconnects Chip and Will. The leader didn’t die with the group, after all.
When Chip’s anger over being duped subsides — Will chalks it up to the Universe sparring him in the mass suicide — he and Will decide to start another cult. A trek though Middle America follows, which finds the constantly-bickering duo luring in a military wannabe, a frazzled mom, and an ominous foreign hitchhiker.
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From here, the jokes and nutty scenarios fly out with reckless abandon. The film manages to generate compassion for these kooky characters, even though nearly every character in the film is portrayed in a surreal, over-the-top way. Ultimately, the story narrows in on Chip and whether he can find the connection he desperately craves. He may be too much of a dimwit to get it, but part of the charm of the film is how well the filmmakers and Halkias make Chip both a lovable and unlikable character.
A Cult That's Crazy Fun with Room for More
The standout cast here hit their marks. They include Daniel Simonsen, Scotty Nelson, Zuri Salahuddin, Eric Rahill (The Bear), Katy Fullan (Curb Your Enthusiasm), Joe Pera (Joe Pera Talks With You), Tom Papa (Tom Papa: You're Doing Great!), Ethan Suplee (My Name is Earl), and professional wrestler Phil “CM Punk” Brooks. Daniel Simonsen delivers a memorable turn as the foreign hitchhiker, delivering one of the film’s best monologues. Eric Rahill is particularly brilliant as the wannabe military man Tyler; his line readings are so utterly bizarre and memorable that he turns everything into off-kilter comedy gold.
Look for a modest twist that revolves around Will in the film’s second half. This sends the movie rushing to wrap up its story, and it’s here that audiences may become divided. Groan, moan, utter a “C’mon,” but hey, it’s still fun at the end of the day.
Skewering Self Help with Stavros Halkias
Let’s Start a Cult also manages to effectively skewer the culture’s fixation with self-help, showcasing it as a kind of circular-talk process that arrives nowhere. Well, for these characters, perhaps. Personal transformation is “work,” after all, and none of these characters are truly willing to go there. The film happily pokes fun at how quickly people can toss their own will aside and opt to follow a leader, no matter how insipid they are.
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Kudos, too, to the writers for also taking seemingly throw-away references — Chip’s family owning a gravel company, for instance, or a possum trap — and having them boomerang back into stellar jokes later in the film. There's enough of that to appreciate how mindful the creators were in the process. To be sure, the thirst to be revered moves through this tale so feverishly as well, because Chip wants to be “all that” but can’t seem to get everybody else on the same page. Well, the guy is just annoying, after all. We’ve all known somebody this brash and obnoxious at some point.
Anyway you spin it, the filmmakers make good use of our various social norms (and oddities), making Let’s Start a Cult a refreshingly fun, laugh-out-loud slice of absurdity to savor. By the final frame, we may even want a sequel. Let's Start a Cult, from Dark Sky Film, will be released wide on November 1. It will be available on VOD and digital platforms on Nov. 12, 2024.
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