Booger movie review

 

Booger movie review

PLOT: After her deceased friend’s cat goes missing, Anna becomes obsessed with finding it, despite her own life (and body) falling apart.

REVIEW: Booger tackles the profound aftermath of loss and how it can completely unravel a person. Navigating your twenties is difficult enough without grief, so when you add the death of a best friend into the mix, it’s easy to see why Anna spirals. Izzy, her friend, was more than just another person in Anna's life—she was someone who understood her deeply. Losing Izzy isn’t just about losing a friend; it’s about losing a piece of herself. Anna’s grief, therefore, extends beyond the physical absence and taps into an existential loss. Anyone who’s experienced deep grief knows how it can manifest in unexpected, sometimes bizarre ways.

While some films make their mark through compelling characters, stories, or stunning visuals, Booger grabs attention from the start with its unusual title. It conjures up unappealing imagery, and let’s be honest—it’s not exactly a name that will attract viewers. But rest assured, there’s no gross, nasal content here; Booger is merely the name of the cat. That said, there are still moments that will make you cringe.

It's important to clarify upfront: Booger isn't your typical body horror film. The unsettling moments here are more on the “acting like a cat” spectrum, involving things like hacking up hairballs and licking skin. It’s not so much reliant on elaborate special effects but more on surreal visuals and a few gross-out gags. And honestly, the scene where Anna eats pet food made me feel more nauseous than any gore scene ever has. Apparently, I can handle blood and guts just fine, but a human eating cat food? That’s where my stomach draws the line. Humans are strange creatures—something that could easily be a tagline for this film.

Grace Glowicki stars as Anna, and she gives a remarkable performance in a difficult role. Detached and emotionally numbed, Anna drifts through her life on autopilot. It’s gripping to watch her internal battle over whether to move on. The film offers glimpses of Anna before Izzy’s death, showing her as a much brighter, happier person, which underscores just how deeply her loss has affected her. These flashbacks, in which we also see the lively and impactful presence of Izzy, are some of the film’s most poignant moments.

One of the most heartbreaking aspects of Booger is the portrayal of Izzy’s mother. Watching Anna lose her best friend is gut-wrenching, but the grief of a mother who has lost her child cuts even deeper. While Anna is emotionally shut off, the mother is overflowing with kindness and a need for connection. It’s almost agonizing as a viewer to watch Anna push her away. I found myself silently pleading with Anna to accept her invitation for dinner. On a lighter note, Heather Matarazzo adds a bit of levity as a quirky pet store owner. She embodies every "cat person" stereotype with perfect humor, and there’s an especially hilarious scene involving her and a litter box.

Writer and director Mary Dauterman takes Booger on some unconventional paths, adding quirky twists that might seem odd at first but ultimately contribute to the overarching narrative. The film explores grief in all its bizarre and unpredictable forms. Though the ending feels a bit too tidy and abrupt, the journey is rich and satisfying enough that it hardly matters. Loss is a universal experience, and Booger beautifully captures the strange ways it can manifest.

Release Date: September 13, 2024 (United States)

Country of Origin: United States

Language: English

Production Companies: Neon Heart Productions, Ley Line Entertainment, Sanctuary Content

Director: Mary Dauterman

Writer: Mary Dauterman

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