Uncle Kent 2 is a surreal film, hard to categorise and highly unique, it’s not surprising that it won the Audience Award Visions category at SXSW15.
Kent (Kent Osbourne; Adventure Time, Hannah Takes The Stairs) is set on making the sequel to the 2011 film Uncle Kent. At a party, Kent chats to Uncle Kent director Joe Swanberg (Drinking Buddies, Happy Christmas) about making the sequel. Joe says this is a great idea, but convinces Kent that he should direct the film himself.
After deciding to make the sequel, Kent travels to San Diego Comicon to talk about his Cat Agent cartoon. Whilst in San Diego, Kent is trying to get in touch with Uncle Kent costar Jennifer Prediger (Apartment Trouble, 7 Chinese Brothers) to ask her to be in the movie. However he starts seeing a sinister looking bog-eyed man around town and is convinced that the singularity apolcalyse is coming. Kent meets a couple of ladies along the way, including a super cut fan who made her own Cat Agent costume, but when people start disappearing, his fears are confirmed. The film comes to a head with a bonkers scene of events including a surprising and hilarious celebrity cameo (I don’t want to spoil it for you!).
Uncle Kent told the story of Kent spending a weekend with a lady Kate (Prediger) who he met on Chat Roulette whilst he attempts to woo her. Where as Uncle Kent was a relationship emotional improvisational film, Uncle Kent 2 is a surreal bonkers take on sci-fi. Even though a sequel, you don’t need to have seen Uncle Kent to understand Uncle Kent 2, though you may want to see it (or not) for Kent’s party dick tricks.
To further add to the complexities, the first 12 minutes of Uncle Kent 2 were directed by Uncle Kent director Joe Swanberg, the rest by Todd Rohal (The ABCs of Death 2, Nature Calls). Like Uncle Kent, the film is DIY, but is more sophisticated in approach. Some scenes are treated with cartoons and digital manipulations, and at one point Kent is tapping on windows to like them like in Instagram.
In real life, as well as creating the Cat Agent comic, Kent is one of the main writers on Adventure Time and Sponge Bob Square Pants. Kent’s Adventure Time colleagues make an appearance, Peppermint Butler Steve Little (Eastbound and Down, Tammy) is hilarious as Kent’s doctor and there is also a title sequence from Mr. Adventure Time himself Pendleton Ward.
Uncle Kent 2 is a sequel about making a sequel, the film blurs reality and fiction with many of the actors playing themselves. Sophisticated and intelligent but also stupidly funny, it’s remarkably entertaining and I promise you wont have seen anything quite like it before. Also after watching the film you’ll never be able to hear “Breakout” by Swing Out Sister in the same way again.
★★
Alice Hubley
Genre: Comedy, Drama Venue: SXSW15 Rating:TBA Running Time: 73 mins Director: Todd Rohal, Joe Swanberg Cast: Kent Osbourne, Joe Swanberg, Steve Little,Benjamin W. Barnes, Steve Berg, Derek Bevil
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