Hanger (2009)
Review by Jude Felton
If you have seen director Ryan Nicholson’s previous movies, such as Live Feed or Gutterballs, you will know that he doesn’t exactly take a subtle approach to filmmaking. Whether it be through the use of sex, violence, bad language or a mix of all three you know that he doesn’t hold back. Now, when we throw his latest flick, Hanger, into the mix, we will find ourselves watching a movie that goes even further than before. This flick will offend, it’ll shock, and if you are anything like me you’ll laugh out loud during the entire running time.
The basic premise of the movie is that Rose (Debbie Rochon) is a hooker who has become pregnant. Her best customer, known only as The John (Dan Ellis), tries to persuade her to hit the straight and narrow, and get herself off the street. Leroy, who is her pimp, on the other hand, wants her to get rid of it so that she can get back to making him some dollar.
Well, push comes to shove and Leroy decides to take matters into his own hands, and with the aid of a coathanger, gives poor Rose an exceptionally graphic abortion. The thing is though the unborn child does not die during this horrific event, even though his mother does. Hanger, as he is affectionately known, is then raised by a street bum until his eighteenth birthday. Upon this day The John returns to take Hanger in, and help set him up with an apartment and a job. Both of them though have only one thing on their minds, and that is some good old fashioned revenge.
What you get with Hanger is one incredibly nasty movie, and you’re not really going to like any of the characters, except maybe Hanger’s buddy Russell who is just funny as hell. It’s sleazy, violent and has some of the finest scenes of bad taste that I have seen in quite some time though. Whilst watching this movie I was reminded a little of flicks such as Basket Case and Street Trash, it had that dirty, grimy feel to it. This is not a nice Hollywood-style polished affair, instead the filth just drips off the screen and seems to have been shot in a way that only emphasizes this.
Filth, gore, man-rape, and other such acts that will make you squirm aside, there are some great characters to be found here. The aforementioned Russell (Wade Gibb) is hilarious in his own sick way, but also Ellis as The John, his character has some great lines and seemed to have great fun with the role. A gripe I did have with the cast is Nathan Dashwood, as Hanger, who just seemed to be underused especially as he plays the titular character.
Hanger is not a movie to be taken seriously, everything is exaggerated, and just about everything that happens on screen is designed to offend the viewer or gross them out. It certainly isn’t going to be everyone’s cup of tea, and I am sure there will be folk that will vilify it endlessly. I just took it for what it is, and that is just modern day exploitation. Similar in vein to some of more notorious Asian movies yet worlds away at the same time. I enjoyed Hanger, if enjoy is the right word, yet I still know that this is going to be an acquired taste. Hanger certainly isn’t as accessible as Nicholson’s previous movie Gutterballs, although somehow though I think that this was the plan all along.
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