HIPPO
Starring: Kimball Farley, Lilla Kizlinger, Eliza Roberts, Jesse Pimentel, and Eric Roberts
Director: Mark H. Rapaport
This film has been reviewed by Nick and Quentin as part of Bitesize Breakdown's coverage of the 2023 Fantasia International Film Festival.
NICK
Hippo is a great example of why sex education still needs to be taught in schools. This absurd film about the naivety of sex - and, really, adult life - for adolescents Hippo (Kimball Farley) and Buttercup (Lilla Kizlinger) is... something. Although the pace moves well enough thanks to narration provided by Eric Roberts, the characters are quite unlikable, and the narcissistic and disillusioned Hippo is the worst offender. I will say, the notion of step-sibling infatuation is handled respectfully by director Mark H. Rapaport, and without getting into spoilers, it’s that story thread that is the most interesting. I just wish things came to a different conclusion.
QUENTIN
Hippo is a weird one, and while I’m not entirely sure I liked it, there are certainly parts I didn’t hate. A scene here would make me laugh, a one-liner there was immediately entered into my memory bank… but, given the subject matter, it’s so odd and potentially off-putting that recommending it is a tricky endeavor. Plus, Hippo (Kimball Farley) is extremely unlikable as a character, playing the role like Napoleon Dynamite with Kenny Powers attitude, which makes sense once you realize Danny McBride and Jody Hill, who created Eastbound and Down, are executive producers on the film. Overall, Hippo is unsettling and extreme acquired taste.