The writer-director behind the upcoming film “Relaxer,” Joel Potrykus, is able to sum up his incredibly unique film best when he says, “All I’ve ever dreamed about is living on a couch, playing video games with no one bugging me. ‘Relaxer’ is the nightmare version of my fantasy.”
As seen in the first trailer for “Relaxer,” the nightmare aspect of the statement is shown to its fullest extent. We begin with the calming, soothing voice of any guided meditation video with beautiful imagery underneath. But quickly, and without warning, that all changes as we dive headfirst into Potrykus’ nightmare, which involves a shirtless man taking on the challenge of not moving until he has beaten level 256 of Pac-Man. Of course, this doesn’t happen immediately, and we see the young guy surrounded by some of the strangest people you’ll see, as he runs out of food and water and must use everything in his grasp (extended thanks to one of those toy grabber things) to survive.
READ MORE: ‘Relaxer’s Vulgar Minimalism Is Absurd, Self-Depraved & Brilliant [SXSW Review]
In our review from last year’s SXSW, we called Potrykus’ film “the most discomforting and unforgettable experience to date” created by the filmmaker. The film stars Joshua Burge, David Dastmalchian, Andre Hyland, Adina Howard, and Amari Cheatom.
“Relaxer” is set to hit theaters on March 22.
Here’s the synopsis:
Doom and gloom are on the way. The Y2K apocalypse can’t be stopped. Abbie’s older brother issues him the ultimate challenge before it goes down: beat the infamous level 256 in Pac-Man and no getting up from the couch until he does so. Abbie’s survival story begins here; inside a rotting living room with no food or water, and a revolving door of numb-nut friends and acquaintances. It’s THE EXTERMINATING ANGEL by way of SLACKER.