Entertainment

The Wild Comedy That Makes A Solid Case For Actually Joining A Cult

By Robert Scucci
| Published 1 hour ago

2022’s Squirrel doesn’t have a single squirrel in it, but it’s about a cult full of a bunch of nuts, so maybe that’s the connection writer-director Matt Glass was going for with the title. However, the nuts depicted in Squirrel aren’t so bad, and once you get to know them, they’re basically harmless. Sure, they might try to indoctrinate you, and they’re probably more than willing to make human sacrifices for honey, a fate Nicolas Cage is all too familiar with. They’re not making anybody drink any weird Kool-Aid, though, and they actually serve what looks like real food to their guests instead of gruel.

Not quite a horror movie, and not quite a comedy, Squirrel succeeds in subverting every expectation you have going in, and makes for a great watch if you’re looking for something a little left of center.

It’s All About That Red Honey

It may seem at first like there’s not much going on in Squirrel, as it’s your typical “couple in the woods gets taken in by a cult” setup. When we meet Charlotte (Tara Perry) and Casey (Alex Hyner), they’re on a camping trip where the latter tries to prove his manliness by building the worst looking fire you’ve ever seen. After a series of strange events, culminating in Charlotte seriously injuring her leg, the couple has a run-in with Tommy (Thomas Hobson) and Anderson (Tom DeTrinis), who take them into their compound.

Casey, who wanted Charlotte to break out of her comfort zone in the first place, is immediately suspicious of Tommy and Anderson, suspecting foul play. Charlotte, who’s grateful for the food and shelter, is more open to their hospitality. It’s quickly revealed that the two men belong to a cult that harvests a special red varietal of maple syrup with healing properties, and that their compound has been in trouble for quite some time.

Even worse, it’s alluded to, but never explicitly stated, that the cult, led by the charismatic and magnanimous Wilder (Curtis Anderson), may be looking for a human sacrifice to ensure a better honey yield. Charlotte is rightfully suspicious, but can’t argue with the results. Her leg injury rendered her immobile, Tommy rubbed some red honey on the wound, and she was walking in no time.

Casey, who becomes increasingly and disproportionately angry and unpredictable as the film moves through its first and second acts, may be more closely connected to the cult than he realizes, but he’s too blinded by his own paranoia to ever make the connection. This combination of personality and miscommunication is what really sells Squirrel, because there’s no real conflict here outside of each character’s assumptions about the people they’re interacting with.

The Third Act Payoff Is Worth The Wait

While you may find yourself wondering what’s so special about Squirrel early on, your patience will be rewarded. It has the kind of twist you’ll never see coming, and I’m saying that as somebody who almost exclusively watches psychological thrillers. Everybody seems like they’re up to something, and in most cases they are, but that “something” they’re up to is never quite what you expect, making the whole thing play out like a fever dream.