Red Cockroaches

If you have a penchant for cockroaches, a hankering for incest, dislike of cats, a Canon GL1, $2,000 in your pocket and a modicum of talent, you, too, can make an apocalyptic horror movie and win some awards at arty International film festivals.

That’s exactly what Cuban writer-director-cinematograper-editor-soundman-fx artist-producer-actor Miguel Coyula did, and now he’s got two movies lined up (actually, he released eight short movies before Red Cockroaches, so maybe he’s not comparable to Robert Rodriguez or Shane Carruth).

Red Cockroaches begins with a 30ish man, sometime in the future (we know this, because spaceships are darting through the air in New York City), waiting to catch a train. Instead, he catches the eye of an enigmatic young woman who disappears before he can make his move. In her place is a tooth. He pockets it, goes home, and relives the recent breakup between him and his manically happy girlfriend. Before that memory fades, the mystery lady knocks on his front door.

There’s a cemetery, some mutating insects, and ketchup on a penis… That’s the extent of the scariness, yet this film is being marketed as, among other things, a science fiction horror film.

As the old saying goes, “I may not know art, but I know what I like.” This film is definitely arty, but I didn’t like it. The popup-book edits, bisecting segues and looming camera angles are undoubtedly interesting, and the composition of the shots is undeniably cool, but the meandering storyline and appalling acting are deal-breakers.  

Our “heros” Adam (Adam Plotch) and Lily (Talia Rubel) are not just unlikable, they’re downright annoying and totally repellant. To add insult to injury, we have to watch them having sex: It’s an instant ad for the pro-abstinence movement. Plotch has a plodding, hangdog air about him which is probably in keeping with the character, but he doesn’t bring any style to it (one can envision Philip Seymour Hoffman in this role, and nailing it). Rubel plays a French character who sounds like Maurice Chevalier channeling Pepé Le Pew. She pouts and stalks around like a pissed-off Naomi Campbell caricature in search a catwalk, eliciting no sympathy whatsoever.

Red Cockroaches did win a couple of awards, and several critics seem to really like it. I leave it up you to decide whether or not this DVD is worthy of praise, or just a squirt with a can of Raid.

= = =

Reviewed by Staci Layne Wilson