If you can’t tell from the trailer, John Dies at the End is one of those movies that’s completely unhinged—which is honestly why I think I liked it so much. And likely why I laughed almost all the way through the end (that reminds me, make sure you stay through the credits!). 

It’s hard to describe the plot since it’s kind of all over the place, but in a nutshell: John and Dave are two friends who stumble onto a psychedelic drug called “soy sauce” (courtesy of a Jamaican named Robert Marley) that may or may not be alive.

While on the sauce, the boys have the ability to talk to the dead, travel between dimensions, and completely mess with their own timelines. At some point, they get recruited into fighting the forces of evil alongside a slick celebrity Doctor named Marconi (a Russian-accented, suited up Clancy Brown. Yay!).

Here’s a hint at what you’re in for: mustaches peeling off of faces and flying around like moths, evil creatures made entirely of meat, frozen coffee mugs that shoot bullets that turn into carnivorous flies (Phantasm reference!), dogs that can drive cars, and a bat made out of Bible pages. And after all that happens, THEN it gets weird.

Basically, this is a movie only Don Coscarelli could have made well. And he did! The excellent casting really sells it; lead Chase Williams as Dave could not be more perfect, Paul Giamatti rocks it as always, and every single minor character adds to the awesomeness (including a cameo by Tall Man Angus Scrimm).

This is going in the “keeper” column of movies I’ve seen for sure. It deserves more than one watch, as I’m sure I missed at least 100 or more neat things the first time around. You should definitely get to the Varsity to see before it’s gone.