Tusk film review: Justin Long stars in Kevin Smith’s first horror flick

VETERAN US indie filmmaker Kevin Smith tries his hand at a horror flick with Tusk, the story of a bunch of misfits in rural Canada.

Tusk (MA15+)

Director: Kevin Smith (Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back)

Starring: Justin Long, Michael Parks, Genesis Rodriguez, Haley Joel Osment.

Rating: **1/2

The old man and the sea creature

Veteran American indie filmmaker Kevin Smith tries his hand at semi-sinister horror with Tusk, a so-so offering where cleverness is often cancelled out by laziness.

Justin Long stars as Wallace, a pro-level podcaster (“I did a hundred grand in ads last year, and then there’s the T-shirt sales!) specialising in making fun of misfits far and wide.

All kinds of creepy ... Justin Long in Kevin Smith’s Tusk.

His latest assignment has taken him to the backblocks of rural Canada in search of a kid who accidentally lost a leg while re-enacting a scene from Tarantino’s Kill Bill movies.

After his subject is found to be, err, permanently indisposed, Wallace needs to land another story quick, or his next show will be toast.

An intriguing flyer spotted on a bulletin board in a barroom toilet sends Wallace off in search of an elderly gentleman who promises a multitude of amazing stories to tell.

The tales rattled off by Howard (a convincingly creepy Michael Parks) — a much-travelled sailor back in the day — are certainly amazing enough to have Wallace thing he has struck the jackpot.

Backwoods weirdness ... Justin Long and Michael Parks in Tusk.

Then he passes out. Howard has slipped something in his tea. When Wallace wakes up the next day, he discovers he has taken the starring role in what will be Howard’s next astonishing anecdote.

Get a load of this: Howard is going to turn Wallace into a walrus. The kid may have to lose a limb or two. His tongue will have to come out. Fitting a pair of functioning facial tusks will be tricky.

Nevertheless, Howard reckons it can be done. In fact, he might very well have done this kind of thing many times before.

Wallace’s slow and agonising transformation from smartass to sea creature is every bit as gross as you might be imagining.

Crazy rise ... Justin Long and Genesis Rodriguez star in Kevin Smith’s kooky horror film.

Smith attempts to smooth this bumpy, bloody ride by applying his trademark style of wordy, wisenheimer humour.

Unfortunately, Tusk doesn’t always bring the funny its filmmaker envisioned. The jokes are wildly hit and miss.

Instead, it is Park’s eerily unhinged display as Howard that keeps the movie chugging along in ooze-control. The scene where he gives young Wallace the walrus his first swimming lesson is worrying in all the right ways.

Tusk is now screening at selected cinemas

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Originally published as Tusk film review: Justin Long stars in Kevin Smith’s first horror flick