Butt Boy
Directed by	Tyler Cornack
Written by	Tyler Cornack Ryan Koch
Produced by	Ryan Koch Brian Wolfe
Cinematography	Billy Morean
Edited by	Austin Lewis
Music by	Feathers
Production company	Epic Pictures
Release date	April 14, 2020
Country	The United States
Language	English

Butt Boy is a 2020 American comedy drama written by Tyler Cornack and Ryan Koch and directed by Cornack in his directorial debut. The film is a spinoff from a Tiny Cinema comedy sketch.

Premise

Chip Gutchell, an IT specialist and recovering alcoholic, develops a compulsive behavior after a routine rectal exam, where anything he inserts into his anus mysteriously disappears. His obsession escalates, leading to the disappearance of small objects, pets, and eventually people. Detective Russel Fox becomes suspicious of Chip's involvement and investigates the mysterious disappearances, while Chip struggles to keep his secret hidden. The tension builds as the detective gets closer to the truth, culminating in a climactic confrontation that reveals the extent of Chip's compulsion.

Cast

• Tyler Cornack as Chip
• Tyler Rice as Russell
• Shelby Dash as Chip's wife Anne
• Nino Hara
• Austin Lewis
• Brad Potts
• Wilky Lau
• Kai Henderson^[1]

Release

Butt Boy had its world premiere at Fantastic Fest 2019 and was screened at a number of genre festivals throughout the year, where it was a "minor sensation".^[2]

In February 2020, it was announced that Epic Pictures had bought the U.S. rights to the film.^[3] It debuted on various VOD platforms on April 14, 2020. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the limited theatrical release scheduled earlier that month was canceled.^[1]

Reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 71% based on 59 reviews. The site's consensus reads: "Its puerile premise invites low expectations, but viewers who sit down in search of boldly humorous provocations won't leave Butt Boy brokenhearted".^[4] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 56 out of 100, based on 8 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".^[5]

In his review for Variety, Dennis Harvey praised Butt Boy for "the drollest execution possible of the most juvenile concept". He noted the film's successful balance of lowbrow humor and withheld gross-out moments, making it enjoyable for those who appreciate stupid ideas executed smartly. He also highlighted the film's lower-key stylistic approach, reminiscent of 1980s cop-thriller tropes, and the dedicated performances of the cast in their deliberately monotonous roles.^[1] Writing for The New York Times, Jeannette Catsoulis described the film as "hilariously bawdy" and as "an act of vivacious vulgarity". She notes that despite its absurdity, the movie refuses to be dismissed as a juvenile provocation and delves into themes of addiction, grief, and loneliness, while also surprising with unexpected moments of beauty and pathos. Catsoulis concludes her review by highlighting the film's "aggressive" originality and divisiveness.^[6]

Writing for the Los Angeles Times, film critic Justin Chang praised the film for its audacious and outlandish concept, dubbing it "either the best or worst rectal-kink detective noir/addiction drama/supervillain origin story ever made". He criticized the film's failure to fully explore the psychosexual implications of the protagonist's compulsion and described it as a half-hour comic sketch stretched out to an unnecessarily long 100-minute runtime and notes that despite some chemistry between the lead actors, the film's "plodding, procedural-style storytelling" and excessive contrivances made it unentertaining.^[7]

In his review for The Hollywood Reporter, John Defore criticizes describes the film as "a juvenile gag" and a "constipated attempt at cult comedy". He notes that the movie's attempts to be provocative and outrageous result in confusion rather than entertainment and that it will only appeal to "a very specific sort of irony-hungry moviegoer" while leaving most others unimpressed.^[8] Eric Kohn of IndieWire gave the film a B- and notes that he finds Butt Boy to be surprisingly "slick and entertaining", despite its juvenile premise. However, he also notes that the film's ludicrous nature and outlandish concept may test some viewers' patience, even though it leaves an impression and showcases potential for its director.^[9]

ScreenAnarchy describes Butt Boy as an incredibly bizarre experience with a nonsensical premise played straight, comparing it to a Quentin Dupieux film shot like a TV movie. It notes that despite revealing budgetary constraints in its execution, the film effectively utilizes limited means, reserving its "craziest" visuals for the final thirty minutes. The review commends the film for its substantial commitment to its peculiar concept, portraying it as a true original.^[10]

References

External links

• Butt Boy at IMDb
• Butt Boy at Rotten Tomatoes
• Butt Boy at Metacritic