The Chumscrubber
When Dean Stiffle (Jamie Bell) discovers the body of his best friend,Troy, hanging in his bedroom, he doesn’t bother telling any of the parents in his postcard perfect Californian neighbourhood, figuring that they wouldn’t care. The death of Troy – the school’s leading drug dealer – throws the community’s carefully maintained psychotherapeutic balance into disarray.
At school, in an effort to get their hands on Troy’s stash, Dean’s classmates plot a kidnapping scheme: they’ll abduct Dean’s younger brother Charlie (Rory Culkin), and hold him ransom in exchange for Dean retrieving Troy’s pills. Only, the hapless gang kidnaps the wrong boy, snatching Charley Bratley instead. Also featuring Glenn Close, Ralph Fiennes and Lauren Holly.
The Chumscrubber is a surreal cautionary tale about an alienated youth forced to confront the disconnection between parents and teenagers in suburbia, rendered with a razor’s edge balance of comedy and drama.
DVD Features:
- Directors commentary
- Deleted scenes
- Featurette
- Theatrical trailer
Critic Reviews:
- " It's a surreal, offbeat comedy where the kidnappers are hopelessly inept while Bell feels hopelessly at sea. " – James Christopher
- " Much like its characters: decorative, entertaining and emotionally empty. " – Anna Smith
- " It is witty and subversive, with flashes of magical realism and apocalyptic CG that both provokes and unnerves. " – Total Film