Film Review: Archenemy

Around this time last year, Adam Egypt Mortimer unleashed Daniel Isn’t Real, hid debut film, one that I don’t think necessarily nailed its theming, but made a huge impression in terms of delivering a strong visual style. While at first it might seem derivative of a lot of the synthy, oversaturated indie horror films that have been making waves in recent years, Mortimer’s grasp on tone, composition, and use of color is great, and it makes Mortimer an exciting new voice in the game. Now, we have his new film, Archenemy, which brings his unique vision to the superhero genre.

That superhero is Max Fist (Joe Manganiello), who on the surface appears to be a drunken bum, but he claims to be a warrior from a city in another dimension called “Chromium,” where he was able to fly and do all sorts of wild things. However, he was forced out by his archenemy, leaving him stranded in our world, where he eventually meets our lead, Hamster (Skylan Brooks), an aspiring influencer/journalist who is interested in the stories of people who don’t usually get the spotlight. Of course, how could he not find Max Fist’s story compelling, even if it all sounds like nonsense.

Meanwhile, Hamster’s sister, Indigo (Zolee Griggs) is a local drug dealer who works for “The Manager” (Glenn Howerton). She ends up stealing money meant for him when a a seemingly simple retrieval job goes haywire. The Manager and his associates eventually catch wind of this, leading her to go on the run with her brother. Thankfully, they got Max on their side, and he is more than willing to help out his new friends. But the question is, is he really who he says he is, or is he just a schizophrenic with a highly active imagination and some serious bloodlust?

Well, spoiler alert, I guess, but if he was just out of his mind, there wouldn’t be much of a movie, or at least not a very interesting one. Especially when Amy Seimetz appears late in the film as a person of great importance who looks a bit like Max’s archenemy from Chromium named Cleo, who we see during these beautiful and stylish animated segments that are full of lush purples, blues, pinks, and whites. If there is a big flaw with the film, I think it is the insistent of keeping this “is he or is he not” thing for a good chunk of its 90 minute runtime when it could easily just get to the good stuff.

Like with Daniel Isn’t Real, Mortimer is able to take a fairly simple premise, and imbue so much personality in the filmmaking. From the psychedelic animated sequences, to the use of the grungy, pulsating synth score from Matt Hill, to the blunt and impactful bursts of violence, and the subtle moments of dark humor, there is a lot to like about how Mortimer utilizes and expands on the visual language he established in his debut film, and I think he shows signs of growing.

Joe Manganiello is perfectly cast as this troubled and tortured man with the force of an untamed bull. He’s able to undercut his brawny presence with some real vulnerability and melancholy that adds layers to the performance that pays off with reveals that happen towards the end. The rest of the supporting cast is not far off either. Brooks and Griggs have a great dynamic as a brother-sister duo that adds a grounded human element to the story. It’s fun to see Howerton go maximum 90s villain, and Paul Scheer kills it in his single scene early on that sets the plot in motion.

However, similar to my feelings with Daniel Isn’t Real, Archenemy hints at bigger themes and ideas that I don’t think get a proper or satisfying payoff, such as these broad notions of realizing one’s potential. Probably due to its fairly short runtime, it doesn’t get much of a chance to breathe, especially as it piles on exposition the more it goes. And despite all the explanation, I still found some elements of the worldbuilding to be a bit puzzling and convoluted. So, it does have some hindrances, but Adam Egypt Mortimer’s stylistic flourishes keeps everything engaging. I am still fascinated by his vision, and I think he is working his way towards a film that is truly great. I can’t wait to see what he does, and perhaps with an even bigger budget. Archenemy might not reach the heights it could have, but it’s a film I had fun with, and found a lot to appreciate in its look, feel, and design. I’ve seen movies that are technically better written that I wished had the visual invention of something like this.

Archenemy is now out in select theaters and VOD platforms.