Repo Man

Punk Otto (Emilio Estevez) becomes a repo man, meets a girl, and hunts a mysterious Chevy Malibu.

Repo Man isn’t for everyone. Writer-director Alex Cox crafts a movie that blends comedy, action, sci-fi, drama, and social satire with a liberal dose of William Burroughs, resulting in a truly unique vision that’s so crammed full of minutia and references, you’ll no doubt find something new with every viewing—provided you can get through the first one. Like many “cult” films, Repo Man will click with some, while leaving others cold. The outlandish plot and bizarre characters will either leave you laughing or shaking your head.

The script walks a fine line between cool and crazy. The key to maintaining the balance is Emilio Estevez, who wisely plays Otto as the straight man, seemingly unfazed by all the absurdity around him. His performance anchors the viewer in the film’s reality, and provides a (somewhat) relatable character in a universe populated by caricatures.

The biggest problem with Repo Man is that it’s sometimes too clever for its own good. There’s are lots of interesting, but ultimately pointless characters, and the ending, while original, also feels like Cox might have simply run out of ideas.

Neither of these should scare you off though, as Repo Man is a real breath of fresh air amongst the litany of recycled plots, stale humor, and ho-hum characters that make up the average movie.