Swiss Army Man (2016)
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A man stranded on an island finds a way to survive by utilizing the unique physical properties of a nearby corpse.
The story
Hank Thompson is stranded on an island and nearly hangs himself, but sees a body wash up on the beach. He tries to resuscitate it, but the corpse just replies with incessant flatulence. As the tide begins to wash the corpse away, Hank watches as its flatulence propels the corpse around on the surface of the water. Hank ties a rope around the corpse's mouth and mounts him to ride it across the ocean, landing on a mainland shore but still far from civilization. The corpse, which Hank names Manny, begins to develop a grasp of the English language, and the two begin a journey toward civilization while navigating the challenges of their bizarre situation.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Hank Thompson, stranded on an island, discovers a corpse that produces constant flatulence, which he uses as a means of transportation and a source of water. He names the corpse Manny. As they travel toward civilization, Hank teaches Manny about life while Manny's lack of social awareness creates conflict. Hank becomes infatuated with a woman named Sarah, and he leads Manny to believe he is in love with her. They eventually reach a city where Hank impersonates Sarah to help Manny, leading to a connection between the two. After a falling out, Hank experiences surreal visions and eventually finds himself at Sarah's house with Manny. Sarah's daughter is frightened by Manny's powers, and the police are called. After a series of events involving Hank's father and a local news interview, Hank and Manny are cornered by authorities at a beach. In a final moment of shared connection, Manny's flatulence propels him back into the ocean as they share a final smile.
- First release year
- 2016
- Runtime (minutes)
- 97
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Daniel Scheinert; Daniel Kwan
- Writers
- Daniel Scheinert · writer; Daniel Kwan · writer
- Cast and characters
- Paul Dano · Hank Thompson; Daniel Radcliffe · Manny; Mary Elizabeth Winstead · Sarah Johnson; Timothy Eulich · Preston; Marika Casteel · Reporter; Richard Gross · Hank's Dad; Antonia Ribero · Crissie; Aaron Marshall · Police Officer
- Genres
- surrealist comedy-drama; magical realism; zombie; survival; fantasy comedy-drama; adventure comedy-drama; black comedy; buddy comedy
- Themes
- friendship; survival; social norms; isolation
- Tone and mood
- surreal; absurd; tragic; weird
- Premise and plot tags
- buddy comedy; magical realism; survival; fantasy
- Content notes
- flatulence
- Reception
- The film was positively received by critics and has since developed a cult following for the Daniels.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 73% · scale: percentage · review count: 209; Metacritic · score: 64 · scale: 100 · review count: 36
- Production trivia
- The film was originally scheduled for a June 17 release but was pushed back to June 24.; The directors pitched the film as a break from the norm of typical Hollywood blockbusters.; Music from the film was played on set during filming.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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