movie review john dies at the end

You would die too if it happened to you

The threat of apocalypse no longer holds consequence enough; for director Don Coscarelli’s latest gonzo genre blend, “John Dies at the End,” fabricated realities sit worse with its cast of misfits, slackers, and interstellar beings than the so-called “End of the World as We Know It.” 

In this adaptation of author Jason Pargin’s novel, the comic horror extends in many directions, but addiction is chief among them. Soy Sauce, a dimension-bending designer drug, ensnares slacker friends David Wong ( Chase Williamson ) and John ( Rob Mayes ). One dose produces an onslaught of nightmarish effects, beginning with hyper-acute psychic abilities, and ending with summoned hellspawn from portals tucked in the shadows. Rationality? Never heard of it.

Desperate journalist Arnie Blondestone ( Paul Giamatti ) attempts to find some nonetheless, but as present-day David recounts his surreal exploits in a dingy Chinese restaurant, the quest for truth instead leads down a rabbit hole of lunacy and delusion. This is highlighted by the film’s title: more theory than spoiler, it assumes a winking, self-aware attitude toward narrative and genre that beckons you to question your expectations of either. And for the first half, it very nearly succeeds.

As director Coscarelli demonstrated in “ Phantasm ” and “ Bubba Ho-Tep ,” he likes to traffic in scrappy chaos, spicing every dollop of gore with an equivalent dose of laughter. This is nowhere more apparent than in the film’s opening sequence, a whirling philosophical riff by David on whether a zombie-skewering axe — thrice repaired — can still be considered the same weapon.

At its finest, “John” glides on this charming fusion of ideas and goofy fun; there are recurring nods to the duplicitous nature of everyday perception — a well-tread avenue in sci-fi, but rarely done with such a vibrant sense of empathy and low-budget charm. How does one react when told they’re simply the hallucinations of someone else? As Coscarelli shows, first with a chuckle, and then a creeping realization of horror. 

But such epiphanies are mere glimmers in the galaxies of incident that the film presents. Glynn Turman and Doug Jones appear as mysterious figures on the fringe, joining Giamatti (who’s clearly having a ball) to filtering exposition through terse monologues. A talking dog serves the same function, but not before a self-help psychic ( Clancy Brown ) and the orgy from “ Eyes Wide Shut ” show up as well. 

Along with Jones, Turman, and Giamatti, the two leads try their best to rein in the narrative. Relatable yet maintaining an unsteady smirk throughout, Williamson and Mayes are two fresh faces who snugly fit the traditional (and watchable) buddy dynamic. Mayes especially delights, embodying that peculiar quality in your most untrustworthy friend: unreliable for a ride, but essential if the world should ever face annihilation.

When events finally do escalate into urgency, however, Coscarelli pulls back and opts for greater eccentricities and tangential oddities. He’s attempting something of grand ambition and scope — sharing the same twitchy vision Richard Kelly displayed in “ Southland Tales ” — but sacrificing coherence in the process.

As David and John jump dimensions one wisecrack at a time, the narrative disintegrates. Crammed full of asides that reach unresolved plateaus, our main story — David’s fight against predetermination and identity — fails to establish any lingering stakes. So, when apparently vital twists occur then later on, any interest vanishes, as significance or gravity are pulverized into pop-culture vapors. 

To date, I’ve remained unexposed to Pargis and his work under the fitting pseudonym David Wong, but what Coscarelli’s achieved doesn’t feel like an adaptation. It feels more like he seems he skimmed the source material, burned it, and then assembled a vague recollection on film after three days of untold indulgences. It would be quite a shock to hear that the film is entirely faithful to Wong’s original story.

A cult following seems to be the audience “John” desires, but more often than not, those pre-programmed genre entries wind up in the nether regions of Netflix. I hope Coscarelli’s strange concoction escapes that fate, though. He knows how to exploit horror/sci-fi tropes and adeptly meld a practical effect with a well-timed gag. Many could depict a man’s disembodied moustache with the right degree of farcicality, but few can imbue it with such an oddball credibility. 

Charlie Schmidlin is a Los Angeles-based writer for Indiewire.com, whose film work has placed him in China, France, and across the U.S.. He is also one of Ebert’s Far-Flung Correspondents.

Charlie Schmidlin

Charlie Schmidlin is a Los Angeles-based writer for Indiewire.com, whose film work has placed him internationally and across the U.S.. He is also one of Ebert’s Far-Flung Correspondents.

• Rob Mayes as John
• Glynn Turman as Detective
• Clancy Brown as Albert Marconi
• Paul Giamatti as Arnie
• Chase Williamson as David
• Doug Jones as Roger North

Screenplay by

• Don Coscarelli

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John dies at the end.

• Common Sense Says
• Parents Say 2 Reviews
• Kids Say 5 Reviews

Common Sense Media Review

Oddball horror/fantasy has gore, fake drugs, monsters.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that John Dies at the End is a horror/fantasy movie from cult director Don Coscarelli ( Phantasm , Bubba Ho-Tep ) that's based on a 2007 cult novel by David Wong. It's an endlessly trippy, oddball experience about a fictitious street drug called "soy sauce" that lets users …

Why Age 18+?

Lots of bizarre fantasy violence and scary creatures (though the special effects

The movie is about a fake drug, dubbed "soy sauce," that has scary side effects.

Language comes in fits and starts. In some scenes it's like a torrent, and then

Toward the movie's final stretch, a scene shows a large group of topless women w

The movie comes up with fake brands when needed.

Any Positive Content?

This movie is so bizarre and off-kilter that it's difficult to know which end is

No one should emulate these characters: They take a strange new street drug and

Violence & Scariness

Lots of bizarre fantasy violence and scary creatures (though the special effects aren't exactly state of the art). A zombie's head is severed, a squirmy creature is chopped to pieces, a girl turns into snakes, a man's arm is torn off, a teen is shot in the head, a man's eyeballs burst, etc. And there's an even gorier animated sequence in which innocent victims (including children) are captured and ripped apart, leaving a canyon full of bloody entrails. Also guns and shooting, as well as a variety of other disturbing, bloody, and/or gory scenes.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

The movie is about a fake drug, dubbed "soy sauce," that has scary side effects. (The drug may actually be a living creature from another dimension.) Many characters -- either older teens or early twentysomethings -- take the drug willingly, but the main character only takes it accidentally (a needle in his pocket jabs him). Addiction isn't discussed, but withdrawing is an issue. Characters drink beer at a party.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Language comes in fits and starts. In some scenes it's like a torrent, and then it quiets down for long stretches. "F--k" and "s--t" are used many times. "A--hole," "dick," "bastard," "dumb ass," "damned," "penis," "motherf---er," "crap," "hell," "c--k," and the "N" word are also used.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Toward the movie's final stretch, a scene shows a large group of topless women wearing masks. They're shown at great length over the next few minutes. In an earlier scene, a fake penis briefly appears where a doorknob should be. Some brief kissing.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

Positive messages.

This movie is so bizarre and off-kilter that it's difficult to know which end is up, much less whether anyone learns anything or has any kind of take-way. But on the whole, the main characters appear to indulge in drugs (perhaps inadvertently) and violence with little or no consequences.

Positive Role Models

No one should emulate these characters: They take a strange new street drug and become involved with scary creatures, violence, weapons, dangerous missions, and other misadventures.

Parents need to know that John Dies at the End is a horror/fantasy movie from cult director Don Coscarelli ( Phantasm , Bubba Ho-Tep ) that's based on a 2007 cult novel by David Wong. It's an endlessly trippy, oddball experience about a fictitious street drug called "soy sauce" that lets users "see" things. Side effects and withdrawal from the drug are discussed. Bloody, gory fantasy violence is a major issue, with severed limbs, exploding eyes, strange creatures, guns and shooting, and ripped-up body parts (victims include children). Language is also very strong, with occasional torrents of "f--k" and "s--t," as well as other offensive terms. During one climactic sequence, the movie shows a huge group of topless (masked) women, lingering on them for several minutes. This is the kind of underground movie that certain teens won't be able to resist. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

Videos and photos.

Parent and Kid Reviews

• Parents say (2)
• Kids say (5)

Based on 2 parent reviews

Homoerotic, pro-drug, bullying spree.

A fun movie, what's the story.

After a prologue in which a zombie is beheaded and an axe is repaired, David Wong (Chase Williamson) speaks to a reporter ( Paul Giamatti ) in a Chinese restaurant, documenting his strange story. David's friend John (Rob Mayes) has taken a new street drug called "soy sauce" that lets users see and know things -- but they also experience fearsome side effects like creepy monsters. John frantically calls David for help, and David accidentally takes the drug, too. This sends them both on a crazy adventure that involves a professional magician ( Clancy Brown ), a lost dog, and a giant creature from another dimension that may be looking to take over the Earth. Are David and John up to the challenge? And will John really die at the end?

Is It Any Good?

Viewers who can give up all their preconceived notions and go along for this wild ride will have a fun, memorable time -- as long as they're ready for the extremely mature content. Cult director Don Coscarelli -- maker of the Phantasm series and Bubba Ho-Tep -- usually brings unhinged imagination and bizarre humor to his horror movies, which probably leads viewers into not taking him very seriously. JOHN DIES AT THE END doesn't change that at all. It's a loony, oddball, trippy, clumsy, illogical, outlandish, gory slice of "what the heck is going on?" with distant echoes of Brazil , Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure , Naked Lunch , and other films of that ilk.

The movie's detractors so far have focused on the approach to adapting of the novel, the sub-par visual effects, and the idea that the film fails to keep up its level of craziness: It's either too crazy or not crazy enough, according to different critics. But all of this misses what's actually there in the movie; it establishes during the "riddle" of the first two minutes that nothing can be nailed down or relied upon.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about John Dies at the End 's bloody, gory, over-the-top violence . What effect does it have? Does the movie cross the line? If so, where/how?

Would you consider this a horror movie? Is it scary ? Which parts are scary as opposed to funny?

What does it mean to be a "cult" movie or novel? What's the appeal of this strange, off-kilter style of writing and filmmaking?

How much does it matter if John Dies at the End has a "logical" plot that can be easily followed? Can it be enjoyable otherwise?

Movie Details

• In theaters : January 25, 2013
• On DVD or streaming : April 2, 2013
• Cast : Chase Williamson , Paul Giamatti , Rob Mayes
• Director : Don Coscarelli
• Studio : Magnet Releasing
• Genre : Horror
• Run time : 99 minutes
• MPAA rating : R
• MPAA explanation : bloody violence and gore, nudity, language and drug content
• Last updated : November 12, 2023

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Suggest an Update

What to watch next.

The Evil Dead (1981)

Cult Classics

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John Dies at the End Reviews

I wouldn't count on the title giving you a leg up on the film's outcome.

Full Review | Original Score: C | Jul 30, 2023

This could, and maybe should, have been something we'd rave about and line up to see at midnight screenings for years to come.

Full Review | Original Score: C- | Jul 9, 2020

The best way to describe the whole ordeal is cheap.

Full Review | Original Score: 1/5 | Jul 9, 2019

A hint at what you're in for: mustaches peeling off of faces & flying around, coffee mugs that shoot bullets that turn into flies...after all that happens, THEN it gets weird.

Full Review | Mar 3, 2019

The stakes don't seem all that high, despite claims of world-ending consequences. If what you want is schlocky fun, then John Dies at the End should deliver. If you want something more, then you may want to look elsewhere afterwards.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Feb 9, 2019

This is a film for the young and the young at heart. And those who like their philosophy laden with a heavy dose of paranoia and oddity.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/4 | Dec 14, 2018

This is a great jumping-off point if you've never been exposed to Don Coscarelli, one of the less-seen indie horror filmmakers out there. If "JDATE" serves as the gateway for new fans, then the movie will be twice the success it already is.

Full Review | Jul 2, 2018

Jump in, leave you sense of logic at the door, sit back and enjoy the trip.

Full Review | Original Score: 8/10 | Apr 12, 2018

Rare is the flick that wedges this many genres into one frame, and so well.

Full Review | Aug 24, 2015

This is a gloriously gonzo trip packed with enough odd narrative tangents to fill half a dozen features. While not always successful, this energetic mash-up so genuinely wants to entertain that it's hard not to be won over by its barrage of absurdity.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/5 | Nov 25, 2013

The saving grace of John Dies at the End is undoubtedly its manic storytelling: the energy and pacing of scenes give the movie the impression of being told on the spot (which is of course what the framing device intends).

Full Review | Jun 28, 2013

It is refreshing that Coscarelli is willing to offer viewers something that at least tries to take the rules of cinema into new directions.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Mar 18, 2013

Gonzo freakiness in such doses that cult status is practically ensured.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Mar 17, 2013

I stopped taking notes when the woman disintegrated into a ball of writhing snakes.

Full Review | Original Score: 1.5/4 | Mar 15, 2013

Despite its astronomical body count, John Dies at the End never takes itself too seriously, and neither should you.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/4 | Mar 14, 2013

Something so weird and off the beaten track that it's kind of wonderful.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Mar 13, 2013

I'm not saying this film will make more sense if you're high. But it will make more sense if you're high.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/5 | Mar 9, 2013

Director Don Coscarelli isn't especially smooth or coherent, and he leans on weird for weird's sake.

Full Review | Original Score: C+ | Mar 8, 2013

It's like a series of blackout sketches, some of which are entertaining. But mostly, it's a mess.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/4 | Mar 7, 2013

When is a phone call from your dead friend more than just bizarre? When it's made on a hot dog. It's a hopeless mess. But, at least, for its first half, a very entertaining mess.

Full Review | Original Score: C+ | Mar 6, 2013

• Cast & crew
• User reviews

John Dies at the End

A new street drug that sends its users across time and dimensions has one drawback: some people return no longer human. Can two college drop-outs save humanity from this silent, otherworldly... Read all A new street drug that sends its users across time and dimensions has one drawback: some people return no longer human. Can two college drop-outs save humanity from this silent, otherworldly invasion? A new street drug that sends its users across time and dimensions has one drawback: some people return no longer human. Can two college drop-outs save humanity from this silent, otherworldly invasion?

• Don Coscarelli
• Chase Williamson
• Paul Giamatti
• 161 User reviews
• 313 Critic reviews
• 53 Metascore
• 2 wins & 6 nominations

Top cast 54

• Arnie Blondestone

• Dr. Albert Marconi

• Roger North

• Justin White

• Robert Marley

• Sergeant McElroy

• Girl with Rastafarian

• Father Shellnut

• Reanimated Dead Guy
• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

More like this

Did you know

• Trivia Director Don Coscarelli stumbled on David Wong's novel as a result of an email product recommendation: "True story: I received an email from a robot on Amazon.com, and it told me if I liked the zombie book I just read, that I would like John Dies at the End. I read the little logline, and it was just amazingly strange. I thought, 'Well this might even make a good movie.' Plus, it had arguably the greatest title in motion picture history."
• Goofs When Dave pours gasoline on the bloodstained couch in Robert Marley's trailer, in the next shot there is no blood on the couch.

Dave : What do you think it's like, Father?

Father Shellnut : What's what like?

Dave : Being crazy, mentally ill.

Father Shellnut : Well, they never know they're ill, do they? I mean, you can't diagnose yourself with the same organ that has the disease, just like you can't see your own eyeball. I suppose you just feel regular, and the rest of the world seems to go crazy around you.

• Crazy credits At the end of the credits there's a warning that 'any unauthorized duplication and/or distribution (...) may result in civil liability, criminal prosecution and the wrath of Korrok'.
• Alternate versions The original ending was a TV interview with Marconi. It was deemed anticlimactic by the filmmakers according to their DVD commentary. This, and other deleted scenes, are included on the DVD release.
• Connections Featured in WatchMojo: Top 10 Fictional Movie Drugs (2014)
• Soundtracks Shang High Written and performed by Paul Ratajczak (Spozzy Song Music - BMI)

User reviews 161

• Jul 18, 2013
• How long is John Dies at the End? Powered by Alexa
• December 27, 2012 (United States)
• United States
• Official Facebook
• Official site
• Dave's Story
• Hot N Tot Cafe - 2347 Pacific Coast Hwy, Lomita, California, USA (diner sequence)
• M3 Alliance
• M3 Creative
• Midnight Alliance
• See more company credits at IMDbPro
• Jan 27, 2013

Technical specs

• Runtime 1 hour 39 minutes
• Black and White

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Movie Review

Addictive ‘Soy Sauce’ With Ruinous Power

• Share full article

By A.O. Scott

• Jan. 31, 2013

You shouldn’t think of the title of “John Dies at the End” as a spoiler in the conventional sense, thought there is a character named John and, well, you know. This movie, written and directed by Don Coscarelli and based on a novel by Jason Pargin (writing under the pseudonym David Wong), is not really about John (Rob Mayes), in any case, and is either entirely spoiler-proof or completely self-spoiling. It lays waste to linear narration, thematic coherence, psychological plausibility and just about everything else you might expect to encounter. It zigs, zags and trips over its own feet and on its own home-brewed hallucinogens. It’s a ridiculous, preposterous, sometimes maddening experience, but also kind of a blast.

The protagonist is Dave (Chase Williamson), and he is a friend of John’s with a wild story to tell. In a small-town Chinese restaurant Dave meets with a journalist (Paul Giamatti) who is eager to hear Dave’s revelations about a vast, possibly interplanetary time- and space-defying conspiracy involving a highly addictive drug known as soy sauce, predatory insects, prosthetic hands (as well as other body parts) and some fairly grisly homicides. The agents of this scheme are hard to distinguish from its victims, and despite Dave’s earnest efforts his experience defies summary.

Which is, of course, the point. “John Dies at the End” revels in its anarchic lack of structure, happily swerving from stoner comedy to gutbucket horror to “Donnie Darko”-esque sci-fi allegory without pausing or slowing down. The more explanation there is, the more confusing the whole thing becomes, until it lets go of all sense in a way that is at once exhilarating and weirdly moving.

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John Dies at the End

Give or take the titular disclosure, "John Dies at the End" is a thoroughly unpredictable horror-comedy -- and an immensely entertaining one, too.

By Rob Nelson

• Film Review: ‘R100’ 11 years ago
• Film Review: ‘Memphis’ 11 years ago
• Film Review: ‘Killers’ 11 years ago

Give or take the titular disclosure, “ John Dies at the End ” is a thoroughly unpredictable horror-comedy — and an immensely entertaining one, too. Thirty-odd years after unleashing “Phantasm,” writer-director Don Coscarelli delivers a gonzo gorefest about college dropouts investigating an E.T. invasion while tripping on “soy sauce,” a drug that makes crystal meth look like cotton candy. Pic gets nuttier as it goes, supported by snappy dialogue, an expert mix of digital and makeup f/x, and indelibly screwy perfs, including Paul Giamatti’s aptly low-affect turn as a jaded reporter. Discerning genre fans will surely bring “End” to a long afterlife in ancillary.

Inasmuch as the narrative makes sense at all, it would seem that twentysomething pals Dave (Chase Williamson) and John (Rob Mayes) are in the ghostbusting biz of solving paranormal “problems,” including that of a woman whose deceased b.f. has been harassing her. Much of the pic takes place in flashback, as soy-sauced Dave doles out barely coherent details to Giamatti’s world-weary scribe. Surreal action scenes are executed with wit and energy, and the tech credits, including Robert Kurtzman’s ornately yucky makeup, are killer. Canine thesp Bark Lee is brilliant.

• Production: A Silver Sphere presentation, in association with M3 Creative, Touchy Feely Films. (International sales: M3, Burbank.) Produced by Brad Baruh, Don Coscarelli, Andy Meyers, Roman Perez. Executive producers, Paul Giamatti, Daniel Carey, Dac Coscarelli. Co-producers, Aaron Godfred, Joshua Lewin. Directed, written by Don Coscarelli, from the novel by David Wong.
• Crew: Camera (color/B&W, HD), Michael Gioulakis; editors, Donald Milne, Coscarelli; music, Brian Tyler; production designer, Todd Jeffery; art director, Patrick W. Muller; set decorator, Dwayne Burgess; costume designer, Shelley Kay. Reviewed at Sundance Film Festival (Park City at Midnight), Jan. 26, 2012. Running time: 108 MIN.
• With: With: Chase Williamson, Rob Mayes, Paul Giamatti, Clancy Brown, Glynn Turman, Doug Jones, Bark Lee.

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John Dies At The End Review

22 Mar 2013

John Dies At The End

Literal doorknobs. Flying moustaches. A meat monster. Yes, we’re deep in the loopy horror-comedy brain of Phantasm/Bubba Ho-Tep’s Don Coscarelli, here drawing from David Wong’s suitably nutty book. Two slacker “exorcist investigators” (Chase Williamson’s Dave and Rob Mayes’ John) investigate a new street drug called Soy Sauce. The effects? Try some gonzo, inter-dimensional, supernatural weirdness, and all manner of odd powers for our heroes, who must save the world. It gets messy, but John Dies... keeps up the entertainment levels by shooting the rule book, waiting for it to reanimate and shooting it again for luck. Cultdom beckons.

John Dies at the End (Movie Review)

Andy's rating: ★ ★ ★ director: don coscarelli | release date: 2012.

Since 2004’s Shaun of the Dead the horror-comedy appears to have been going through a bit of a resurgence. Between 2006 and 2010 there were a little more than 40 horror comedies of varying financial pedigrees released. Last year we saw approximately 7 major horror-comedy releases. Cabin in the Woods is even seeing a decent amount of award buzz and critical acclaim; extremely rare for a film so steeped in genre material. This year is none less the richer with Warm Bodies releasing in February and the much-anticipated Don Conscarelli flick John Dies at the End beginning its theatrical run at the end of the month. Characteristic in most of these films is there emphasis on generic convention play and meta-narratives with a touch of ironic wit and social satire. This is not to say such self-effacing, reflexive humor has been absent in the past but the frequency with which these films are being released is indicative of a growing horror audience more literate in conventions. And while John Dies at the End trades in these qualities to varying degrees it also makes attempts at creating a satisfying mythology all its own.

Dave (Chase Williamson) is a twenty-something slacker who doesn’t hold a job and seems to spend most of his time watching infomercials, sleeping on his couch, or hanging with best friend John (Rob Mayes)…who we are told will die at the end of the movie. John, being the loveable scamp he is, likes partying, girls, and drugs. But John’s wonton hedonism catches up with him in a fierce way when after dosing a new drug called “Soy Sauce” he begins to see ghosts, demons, and other dimensions. Not to mention he can move outside space and time. After Dave accidentally exposes himself to the drug, he begins to share John’s visions, unveiling a heinous plot hatched by some type of monster-computer in another universe…and maybe some aliens (I’m honestly not quite sure). Oh yea, Paul Giamatti’s here as reporter Arnie, Doug Jones plays an inter-dimensional slug-keeper, and Clancy Brown has a turn as an Eastern European pop exorcist.

John Dies at the End has been a bit of a geeky cult albatross for nigh on three years. Originally the property was an increasingly popular 2001 comic-horror internet publication turned book by David Wong about the paranormal exploits of the aforementioned friends. Don Conscarelli, having become a fan of the material, had attached himself to a film adaptation in 2007. Seeing as how this would be Conscarelli’s first feature foray since 2002’s Bubba Ho-Tep anticipation for the loyalists out there was peaked. Also doesn’t hurt when your cast is rounded out with a peppering of “that guys”. Filming quietly began in 2010 while nuggets of publicity would occasionally filter through the ether. The film eventually had it’s premiere at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival and now is making its way to theaters for a January release this year.

So does Conscarelli’s return to features a decade later live up to expectations? Perhaps unsurprisingly it’s a yes-and-no answer. John Dies at the End certainly has a style about it that is a shade more polished than Bubba Ho-Tep . The film moves at a brisk pace, balancing its more wild set pieces nicely with enough jokes that work. Conscarelli and Wong have an adept sense of how to coax humor from their character reactions. Fans of Conscarelli’s oeuvre will probably notice a few of the director’s trademark gags. (Seriously though, nothing comes close to the campy hysteria of an actor convincingly fighting something that they are clearly holding on themselves). And at a point in geekdom when the threat of a Ghostbusters 3 has been looming for several years it is refreshing to see a narrative that borrows from the concept while adding enough of its own personality, making the Ghostbusters seem like Navy Seals by comparison.

But despite all this manic, whack job, irreverent energy the film lacks a consistent narrative thread that we are capable of holding on to. When an actual threat or clear obstacle is introduced to John and Dave it comes in the form of information dump Soy trips. The way we are placed inside and outside Soy trips becomes tiresome as they often allude to events that bear no real weight on the overarching narrative. While the flashy renderings of trips through space-time make for some kinetic imagery they also tend to negate the necessity of explaining a majority of Dave’s motivations. This is particularly evident in the frame narrative in which Dave is attempting to break the story of the “Sauce” to reporter Arnie. Why is Dave talking to Arnie? We are given one throwaway line in which Dave states he just wants his story out. Fine. But the inconsistency with which the frame story is utilized and the end it meets seems awkwardly fruitless. And while I don’t believe every horror film needs to make itself an allegory some sort of greater metaphor is noticeable absent from the film.

There’s a brief prologue that acts as a distillation of the highs and lows of John Dies at the End . We watch as Dave decapitates a neo-nazi zombie and space slug with a small axe, having to repair both the blade and hilt following each respective skirmish. Neo-Nazi Zombie returns from the grave once more stating, “That’s the axe that slayed me!”. We then hear Dave’s voice over asking “Is he right?”. The sequence seems meant to insert some sort of rumination on quintessence, a theme that certainly manifests in the film but to little effect. When considering this sequence and much of the film I was reminded of a number of other contemporary films. In particular the influence of Edgar Wright & Company (also Reuben Fleischer’s Zombieland ) seems to inform much of Coscarelli’s aesthetic choices here. Granted the man made Bubba Ho-Tep . (And the Phantasm series, etc). However, the film has a show-reel identity. It knows the moments, the camera moves, and editing tricks but it starts to ring hollow, having little in the way of conflict or development to keep us intrigued. Despite all this, what John Dies at the End may lack in the way of careful plotting and interesting characters it manages to excel with a respectable amount of crudely effective jokes, slapstick, and some originality.

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Movie Review: John Dies at the End (2012)

• Adam Bilbrey
• Movie Reviews
• 3 responses
• --> January 26, 2013

The heroes?

If “ Limitless ” were mixed with “ Dude, Where’s My Car? ” and perhaps “ Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas ” you’d end up somewhere near to John Dies at the End . Directed by Don Coscarelli (best known for cult hits “ Phantasm ” and “ Bubba Ho-Tep ”), the trippy feature blurs the lines of reality as it follows around best friends Dave (Chase Williamson) and John (Rob Mayes).

And to make sense of its plot, one would have to drop acid. Repeatedly.

After a deep introspection on the life of a hatchet, John Dies at the End picks up with Dave talking to a reporter (the only known actor in the film, Paul Giamatti) about his experiences at a Chinese restaurant. Looking for a book deal, Dave recounts bizarre stories about alternate dimensions, fantastical paranormal creatures and the new street drug called “Soy Sauce” that enables its taker to experience — for better or worse — it all.

Never quite sure what it wants to be, John Dies at the End reduces itself to first telling varied, non-linear, surreal horror_science-fiction_fantasy_comedy tales (which is no surprise as the film is based on a book made up of a jumble of weird short stories by Jason Pargin) and then to becoming a sloppy, poorly done “Save the World” adventure flick. Apparently taking the sauce may free one’s mind, body and soul, but it also opens them up to possibly being commandeered by evil forces.

Combining these facets with effects and dialogue that are so bad they’re laughable (a giant meat monster that forms out of a refrigerator is at best a grade school effort), one has to think Coscarelli has hit on the ingredients that will ensure himself another cult hit.

But while John Dies at the End is certainly an acquired taste, it’s really not all an exercise in insanity. The mostly unknown leads (Chase and Rob) are more than adequate to realize whatever the fuck they’re supposed to be realizing. And they do find themselves in some truly bizarre situations as they’re trying to realize whatever the fuck they’re supposed to be realizing that will make viewers laugh and scratch their heads in bewilderment at the self-same time (although truth be told there is considerably more head scratching).

Ah, but the question remains, “Does John die at the end?” Maybe. Or maybe he dies in the middle of John Dies at the End , or the beginning. What is death really? Time? Reality? Coscarelli, doesn’t answer any of these questions — he’s just having a damn good time watching us try to make sense of it. And even though the execution wasn’t the greatest, I can applaud the effort. Or do I?

Tagged: drugs , psychic , undead

I am Adam Bilbrey.. I love film, I love writing, and I love discussion. Heck, I also helped a producer down here in Tennessee work on a film he has in the works entitled 'Jack Phoenix.' I have a lot of experience with film, TV, etc. I run a big Facebook page called 'Film-Talk' where some friends in NY and myself discuss film.

Movie Review: The ABCs of Death (2012) Movie Review: Movie 43 (2013)

'Movie Review: John Dies at the End (2012)' have 3 comments

January 26, 2013 @ 9:14 pm North of West

My local Chinese restaurant serves up similar soy sauce!

Log in to Reply

January 26, 2013 @ 10:59 pm tacco

So its a movie I need to drop acid to prior to viewing so I can make sense of it? I’ve read enough.

January 27, 2013 @ 11:56 am Jeff Lugust

Your review is as trippy as you make the movie sound!

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Movie Reviews

Spoiler alert: 'john dies,' but the rest who can tell.

Scott Tobias

Journalist Arnie Blondestone (Paul Giamatti) interprets the bizarro story at the heart of the too-twisty horror fantasy John Dies at the End. Magnet Releasing hide caption

John Dies At The End

• Director: Don Coscarelli
• Genre: Comedy
• Running time: 99 minutes

Rated R for bloody violence and gore, nudity, language and drug content

With: Chase Williamson, Rob Mayes and Paul Giamatti

The druggy haze that fuels the narrative of Don Coscarelli's film makes for some vivid, kitchsy imagery — but a lack of internal logic undercuts the movie's inventiveness. Magnet Releasing hide caption

The druggy haze that fuels the narrative of Don Coscarelli's film makes for some vivid, kitchsy imagery — but a lack of internal logic undercuts the movie's inventiveness.

There's a fine line between a genre filmmaker with an offbeat sensibility and a maker of prefab cult movies — someone who appeals too aggressively to a cult audience that doesn't yet exist. Don Coscarelli's career has inched too far across that line.

The creator of the Phantasm series, which developed a dense and satisfying (if fan-oriented) mythology, and the prime fantasy cheese The Beastmaster , Coscarelli has lately been a cult alchemist, mixing up quirky elements aimed at winning a following that his previous films won effortlessly.

Coscarelli's last film, the 2002 horror-comedy Bubba Ho-Tep, cast Evil Dead icon Bruce Campbell as rock 'n roll icon Elvis Presley, and tried — with limited success — to put the still-living King through a scenario so convoluted that it seemed like an exercise in free association. His latest, John Dies at the End , doubles down on the calculated insanity, piling flashbacks on top of flashbacks on top of parallel universes, portals, space bugs, ESP, a talking dog — you name it. It creates a world without rules, where anything is possible — and that, surprisingly, is a large part of the problem.

Based on the online web serial by Jason Pargin — who later published it under the pseudonym David Wong — John Dies at the End seeks to keep viewers disoriented from the start, but doesn't do enough to reorient them by the finish. It begins near the end, with the hero, also named David Wong (Chase Williamson), relaying his exploits to a reporter (Paul Giamatti) at a Chinese restaurant.

David immediately unnerves the reporter by reading his thoughts, and explains that the source of this and other supernatural powers is a jet-black, sentient designer drug called "soy sauce." Under the sauce, David can not only read minds, but anticipate the future, visit far-out places and blast open the doors of perception.

But all drugs have their unfortunate side effects, and for David and his buddy John (Rob Mayes), that means confronting the terrible beasties that stroll through those doors of perception and threaten to destroy the planet. They're like a scruffier version of the buddy team in Men in Black , but entirely without agency and forced to improvise on the fly. Despite their extrasensory abilities, they don't seem to have any better idea of where this story is going than the audience does.

John Dies at the End gets off to a thrilling start, as David's stories to the reporter turn into self-contained tall tales — like the time he and John confronted a monster composed entirely of frozen meat products. (A monster that is eventually destroyed by merely listening to a popular TV psychic on a cell phone, because why not?)

But once the colorful anecdotes sprawl out into an actual narrative, the film gets convoluted and loud, amplifying the weirdness without doing much to clarify it.

The anything-goes nature of John Dies at the End does result in moments of wit, like John talking to David through a cell phone while also sitting straight across the table from him ("Say hello to me") or the two relaying psychic messages to each other through a $3 bratwurst.

But Coscarelli slacks off in setting up the guard rails for his hallucinatory universe: Even mind-benders like this one have to operate on some internal logic. Otherwise they're all noise, no signal.

John Dies at the End (United States, 2012)

John Dies at the End is problematical. It's an attempt by director Don Coscarelli to adapt a book that has a fanatical following but has often been described as "unfilmable." The end result has garnered mixed reactions from those who love David Wong's story while leaving the uninitiated understandably baffled. Coscarelli's screenplay introduces an abundance of intriguing concepts but never goes very far with any of them. The characters are paper thin and the special effects are laughably bad. There are some pretty good laughs but the overall experience offers less than the satisfying feeling one gets from a complete production. I was never bored but neither was I invested in the narrative. The plot is essentially a string of quirky scenes stitched together using a non-linear chronology where seemingly every "tight spot" is resolved by the use of a deus ex machina.

The tale is told from the perspective of a character, Dave Wong (Chase Williamson), who is under the influence of a drug dubbed "Soy Sauce." It's a black substance that, once in a person's system, gives him a perspective of the reality underlying what everyone else sees. It's a little like taking one of those pills in The Matrix . Sort of. Not really. Actually, a lot of the movie feels like David Cronenberg when he's misfiring. It's all very weird and visually interesting but not rewarding. One senses that members of the audience under the influence of a controlled substance (not necessarily a black one) will get more out of John Dies at the End than the rest of us.

Dave and his best friend, John (Rob Mayes), who may or may not actually die at the end, are on a mission to keep Earth from being invaded by demonic creatures from another dimension. They're a little like The Blues Brothers on a mission from God. Sort of. Not really. They do some time travel. A dog gets behind the wheel of a car. A doorknob turns into a rubber penis. A guy's eyeballs explode. A man's mustache takes flight and flitters around a room. A character uses a hot dog as a cell phone. And that's just scratching the surface. To have a chance at appreciating what John Dies at the End is offering, reading the webserial-turned-book may be mandatory. The movie doesn't seem like it was designed as a stand-alone product.

The special effects are so unbelievably awful that one gets the sense they were intended to be that way. They're a little like R-rated old school Doctor Who effects. Sort of. Really. This is the kind of cheesiness one embraces as a filmmaker if it fits into the tone and John Dies at the End is so off-kilter that the copious fake gore (which includes an animated sequence) doesn't damage its credibility. By making John Dies at the End , Coscarelli dodges any possible charges of "playing it safe," but what else would one reasonably from the man behind Bubba Ho-Tep , a yarn about zombies invading a nursing home where Elvis is hiding out?

For his leads, Coscarelli has gone with a pair of young, relatively unknown actors whose performances are adequate for the material. Chase Williamson gives us a low-key, reluctant hero who spends most of the movie flummoxed by the bizarre things happening around him. Rob Mayes is his antithesis, making John a brash kick-ass kind of guy who only hesitates when the option to push ahead recklessly has been taken off the table. There are a couple of notable performers in supporting roles. Paul Giamatti, who gets an executive producer credit, plays the journalist to whom Dave tells his story (this is used as a loose framing device). Clancy Brown, with tongue embedded in cheek, is Marconi, a TV self-help guru who possesses mystical powers that can dismantle a made-from-freezer-meat-scraps monster over the telephone.

This movie isn't just off the mainstream road; it's off the game trail that leads to the path that meanders around until it gets to the rutted dirt track that eventually arrives at that road. It's one of those films that might as well be announced with the words "cult classic" emblazoned on the marquee. It's an interesting failure that's almost worth seeing for that reason alone. Kind of. Not really.

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John Dies at the End

Time out says.

But it’s Dave Wong (Chase Williamson) we meet at the beginning. The slacker white dude with the noticeably Asian last name—long story—is one half of a demon-fighting duo that has stumbled on an alterna-universe plot for global domination. That’s an even longer story, so good thing schlub journalist Arnie Blondestone (Paul Giamatti) is there in a leaden framing story to hear Dave out. We’d recap his otherworldly tale of woe if it made a lick of sense. Suffice to say it involves a hallucinogenic drug called “soy sauce”; Dave’s goof-off-in-arms best bud, John (Rob Mayes); and a race of beings who come from what one of our protagonists describes as “ Eyes Wide Shut world.” (That’ll get you some reference-whore cred!)

If it’s not abundantly clear by now, this frenetic horror-comedy from Bubba Ho Tep’ s Don Coscarelli is of the make-it-up-as-you-go-along school of storytelling. That’s appropriate considering that the film originated as a serialized Web novel, which surely had a go-for-broke energy on the page that is almost entirely lacking in this no-budget would-be cult item. Genre stalwart Clancy Brown and character actor extraordinaire Glynn Turman do some fine, funny supporting work as a slick psychic and an obsessive cop, respectively. But the “wackiness” (scare quotes included) is mostly ceaseless and tiresome, from the ravenous zombie neo-Nazi that leads things off to the Galaxy Quest rejects that figure in the movie’s annoyingly anticlimactic finale. Also, spoiler alert: That title’s a friggin’ lie, man!

Follow Keith Uhlich on Twitter: @keithuhlich

Release Details

• Release date: Friday 22 March 2013
• Duration: 99 mins

Cast and crew

• Director: Don Coscarelli
• Screenwriter: Don Coscarelli
• Chase Williamson
• Paul Giamatti

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‘The Front Room’ Ending Explained: Does Brandy Survive A24’s Latest Horror Movie?

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Editor's Note: The following contains spoilers for The Front Room. You gotta love the in-laws. Or then again, maybe you don't. That's a lesson Brandy Norwood 's Belinda squares with as a besieged expectant mother in Max Eggers and Sam Eggers ' (brothers of The Witch director, Robert Eggers ) new A24 horror entry The Front Room . The film sees Belinda's material bliss disrupted when her elderly mother-in-law Solange ( Kathryn Hunter ) comes to stay with her as she prepares to give birth. As Belinda contends with the extremely religious elderly woman, it's a battle of wills over Belinda's new child and the soul of her home in a uniquely comedic thriller. But what's it all about?

What Is 'The Front Room' About?

Belinda and her husband Norman ( Andrew Burnap ) are expecting their second child. They tragically lost their first , which adds more than a little hesitation and emotional weight to the exciting news (especially in light of their financial difficulties). When Norman's father passes, his final request is that Norman allow his estranged mother Solange to live in his home . She's an incontinent, manipulative, oppressively religious, racist woman with a history of traumatizing Norman and believing she's regularly possessed by the Holy Spirit, a set of facts that put her remarkably at odds with Belinda... but she also comes with a sizable inheritance. She moves in, setting off an ever-escalating domestic war between Belinda and the elderly tyrant, putting the fate of their family, home, and child at stake.

Belinda and Solange Square Off Over Who Gets To Be Matriarch

The Front Room certainly provides sufficient context to understand the central conflict between Belinda and Solange. The central reason why Norman didn't initially want to allow Solange to live with the couple is because of his estrangement due to her strict, arguably abusive, parenting style as stepmother. Solange would be extremely stern and strict, all in an effort to coercively impose her cultish version of Christianity on the young Norman. It's an orientation that comes to dominate her approach within the family's home. There are different facets of their growing disagreement, with religious, emotional, and practical elements to boot , but the main tension centers around who gets to be the family's matriarch .

'The Front Room' Review: Brandy and Kathryn Hunter Are Forces of (Un)Nature in Absurd A24 Horror

This movie is more proof you should never let you in-laws move in.

Solange begins with a feigned, sometimes passive-aggressive respect for Belinda's place as the family's maternal figure. After settling in, the subtle criticisms mount : Solange criticizes Belinda's cooking, the presence of Goddess figures (stemming from Belinda's interests as an Anthropologist) and absence of Christian iconography, the baby's lack of feeding, even the baby's name, each in a domineering spirit. "She wants to replace me," Belinda acknowledges at one point in the film. After the child's born, the tension escalates to Belinda yelling "I am her mother!" to which Solange retorts "Oh no ya ain't!" It's a battle for maternal domination .

Solange's Supposed Powers Are Likely Fake

Another layer of the film is introduced early on. While Belinda is a secular-minded academic with an interest in Goddess mythologies, Solange is a dedicated believer in what appears at face value to be an Evangelical sect of Christianity. Most important for our understanding of this element of their conflict is that Solange seemingly believes she's regularly possessed by the Holy Spirit , which she calls her "signs and wonders." Fellow members of her church seem to believe in the sincerity of these beliefs, and as the conflict with Belinda escalates, so do her seeming powers.

After the baby's birth , Belinda is left with a gnarly, crooked, vertical C-section scar. The next morning, it seems slightly improved. The rest of the supposed manifestations of powers also follow the child's birth , such as late-night appearances of Solange as a Virgin Mary figure, holding the new baby (or, alternately, an infantilized version of Norman in another vision). Are these actual manifestations real? At times, the sleep-deprived (thanks to a perpetually crying baby combined with Solange's intentional elderly terrors) Belinda comes to believe in them . At the same time, Belinda does witness seeming daytime evidence that Solange may not need her walker as much as she appears to, and has clear evidence of Solange's manipulations when she throws herself on a table to elicit sympathy from Norman. Between the only evidence of Solange's "signs and wonders" being accompanied by Belinda's absolute exhaustion and the ample evidence of the former's penchant for deception, there's no real reason to believe in Solange's claims .

How Does 'The Front Room' End?

The escalation of events, combined with Solange's constant use of her own incontinence to torment Belinda, brings the latter to the brink of insanity. When their baby, Laurie, appears to have a large human bite mark (that's missing a few teeth), it's clear to Belinda that Solange bit the child. Solange spends a fateful night caterwauling over how she wants to die, and in the morning she's found dead and cold. Here, the film implies Solange died in her sleep, but we then get the reveal that Belinda secretly smothers Solange with a pillow in the middle of the night .

Belinda's decision to murder Solange underscores the extreme lengths she's been pushed to — the rest of the film paints Belinda as a compassionate, kind soul, so surely it's no casual act. The finale implicitly portrays the choice as the right one for the new mother , however, with a lighthearted tone and the dramatic reversal of the entirety of Belinda's troubles: a new job, the implied end to their financial problems, a new house, and even a new child, and Belinda is evidently happy without any regrets. It's a dark end to the horror-comedy, but the Eggers brothers want us to know with certainty that Belinda's best life came after ending Solange's.

The Front Room

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