Sundance

Well, they can’t all be good. Koko-Di-Koko-Da is a film that was so intriguing on paper that it was one of the first films I actively secured a ticket for. It’s a Swedish horror flick that tracks the brutal process of grief and the damage it does to a relationship. At best, the films absurdities serve as a metaphor for this sentiment. At worst, the absurdities merely serve as aesthetic pageantry to keep the viewer awake.

Essentially, it is a cheaply made horror film with a groundhogs day gimmick where instead of the characters growing from scene to scene, they simply make slightly less stupid decisions with each round. (Spoiler) You basically spend 60 minutes of the film watching the husband find new, idiotic ways to watch his wife die. The unbelievably stupid decisions of the male lead feel more like lazy decisions by the director.

Bad decisions in horror movies are not always a deal-breaker, it can motivate plot, danger, and character development. But, in this film, the bad decisions make absolutely no sense. The characters are meant to learn but it’s literally just the same scene, over, and over, and over, and over again, with not much growth except for one cheap moment at the end of the film. Not to mention, there are a few frustrating continuity errors that just shouldn't exist in a Sundance caliber film.

There are a couple aspects to appreciate. It was incredibly low budget with minimal locations, mostly just shot in one spot in the woods. There are some cool segments of unique animation. Also, it flips racial stereotypes amongst the cat community, so there’s that.

Written by: Cameron Lui