Director: Matt O.
Running Time: 85 mins
Certificate: NR
Release Date: October 27th 2015 (US)
Travis (Adam Boys) is a comic book writer who’s made his name with his no holds barred creations, where no topic is off limits and he doesn’t kowtow to those who feel you shouldn’t cause offense. That includes his most popular character, a gay S&M superhero vigilante, called Homo Dynamous.
Local crime-lord/businessman Leonard Fong is one person who doesn’t like Travis’ comics, which have specifically targeted him, and decides the artist needs to be taught a lesson – having his right hand cut off. However, the hand isn’t going to take that lying down and comes back to life as a five-fingered avenging angel – something it has trouble getting the now depressed Travis to understand and help out with.
And when things get dangerous, a man who takes his Homo Dynamous cosplay extremely seriously may also be around to aid them.
Bloody Knuckles is certainly a bizarre concoction, which is totally nuts and yet surprisingly entertaining. It’s strange, scatological and very silly, but never forgets that it’s still important to be fun. There’s also a fair amount of blood and gore for fans of horror.
Underlying it there is a smidgen of philosophy about the dangers of giving in to those who try to silence us, and to those who believe that because they find some things offensive others shouldn’t be allowed to say them – even if that means being violent against them. However, while it does have a little something to say, it doesn’t go into too much depth beyond some obvious parody and a desire to wave the flag for freedom of expression.
It’s also nice to have a film with humour that includes gay people and situations, but where those characters are part of the joke rather than on the outside and where it’s where it’s not making a big deal of it or slapping itself on the back for being inclusive. There is an element of it hinting that gay people and sexuality shouldn’t be off limits for humour, but in a film about the fact you should have the ability to offend, it certainly doesn’t seem keen to be offensive about gay sexuality, even of the S&M variety – which marks it in stark contrast to what similar Hollywood movies often do.
Overall Verdict: Bloody Knuckles is a cheap and cheerful movie, but it’s fun, zips along at tremendous pace and has a good mix of the silly and the gory, with just enough of the serious to ensure it doesn’t seem completely random.
Reviewer: Tim Isaac
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