Honestly, I’m not precisely positive what the heck Smoking Causes Coughing is definitely about. Something in regards to the surroundings? Public well being? The despair of humanity? It’s not completely clear, but it surely completely doesn’t matter. The newest movie from Quentin Dupieux, a darling of the competition circuit due to extraordinary movies like Rubber and Wrong, is past entertaining and hilarious. It’s a continuous barrage of absurdist tales and humor that can make you suppose—however will make you giggle much more.

Smoking Causes Coughing facilities on Tobacco Force, a Power Rangers-trying superhero crew with 5 members, every named after an evil ingredient in a cigarette (Nicotine, Methanol, Ammonia, and so forth). They journey the world battling evil, however are in determined want of a break. So after an unbelievably over-the-prime opening battle, the heroes go on a retreat the place they attempt to one-up one another by telling “scary” tales. In actuality the tales aren’t precisely scary, however they’re extremely unpredictable and wild. One is a few girl in a helmet. Another is instructed by a speaking fish. A wooden chipper comes into play. Each story unfolds in a vivid, lovely setting, making the laughs that a lot greater.

Tobacco Force is basically humorous too, particularly the truth that their chief Chef Didier solely communicates by telephone, a la Charlie’s Angels, and is a speaking, oozing, puppet rat who all the ladies are head over heels in love with. Each member of the crew then brings a selected power to the group that makes their sequences shine even among the many anthology tales. Eventually, there’s actually some type of overarching message that emerges in regards to the state of the world however, as we mentioned, it’s really insignificant. Every second of Smoking Causes Coughing is so unpredictable and humorous you possibly can’t assist however like it, and to say way more would take away from its wholly unique and maddening hilarity.

Smoking Causes Coughing opens in Europe later this yr. It just lately performed at Fantastic Fest 2022.

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