There’s an expression that I’ve heard a lot growing up; “It’s so crazy it just might work.” That expression is the movie Swiss Army Man in a nutshell. This is a movie that by all laws of common sense, shouldn’t exist.

In many ways, the fact that this movie exists at all is a phenomenal achievement. But on top of that, this film is actually good. Scratch that, it’s one of my favorite films of the year.

First and foremost, I have to talk about the acting. Paul Dano is one of those actors who just gives one great performance after another, and his work here is truly impressive. His performance might have been good enough to be my personal Lead Actor winner… if it weren’t for Daniel Radcliffe. He’s been taking a lot of risks with his career as of late, and seeing him fully commit to such a bizarre role is something special to behold.

But as great as those two actors are, none of this would be possible without a great vision by Dan Kwan & Daniel Scheinart. This is their debut feature, though they’ve previously worked on music videos. Not only is their vision completely unique, but they somehow managed to convince everyone in the cast and crew, ‘trust me, this is something you want on your resumé.’

It’s kind of hard to explain why this film works so much. It’s a film about embracing life, even (or perhaps especially) the parts of life that we don’t typically embrace. All the juvenile stuff that you’re not supposed to talk about because it’s not appropriate. By the time the film is over, you’ll be waiting for the next time you fart in an elevator just so you can announce that it was you.

I really can’t do this film justice. You just need to go see it for yourself. It’s a film that made me feel better about humanity, which in these times, counts for a lot. And so, I can guarantee you that Swiss Army Man will be one of the most f’d up films yo ever see in your life… in the best possible way.

*****