Written by Robert Scucci | Published
The idea of playing video games until the end of the world may sound like fun in the right place, but in 2018 Relaxation it will make you think twice. Set in 1999, just before the Y2K apocalypse, Relaxation it’s not one of those fun stories about getting together with your friends, chugging Mountain Dew, eating pizza, and going on epic multiplayer adventures. Rather, it is wandering alone in a lonely world of indifference and decay. It’s a tough watch, even nauseating at times, but if your video game habit is causing problems in your daily life, Relaxation it might be the wakeup call you were looking for because it doesn’t drag.
Sit almost entirely on the sofa of one man, Relaxation it’s claustrophobic, dirty, and enough to make you want to turn off the Nintendo and step on some grass. If you can’t get through this one without tasting that metallic, “I’m about to vomit,” taste on the back of your tongue, pat yourself on the back for having a strong will and having the kind of intestinal fortitude that eludes me.
The Ultimate Slacker Comedy
Relaxation it starts with our hero, if you can call him that, Abbie (Joshua Burge), playing Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater and chugging milk whenever his older brother, Cam (David Dastmalchian), looks up at the stopwatch. This “challenge,” as they put it, is just the latest in a long line of failed attempts where Abbie quits because she’s sick of chasing whatever high score or record is in front of her.
Sitting in her vomit pool, Abbie promises Cam, who is rightly frustrated by her slacker brother’s lack of contribution to rent and utilities, that she will do the unthinkable. Legend has it that if he can write he will pass level 256 Pac-Mansomething that has been done once before, he will win $100,000 and stop being such a burden. Cam reluctantly agrees to support her in this challenge, under one condition: Abbie can’t even think about leaving the couch until she’s accomplished what she set out to do.
Taking Cam’s conditions seriously, Abbie gets to work but soon runs into scheduling problems. At some point, he has to eat, drink, and use the toilet, and he has to do something. Many times throughout RelaxationCam throws on 3D glasses that he believes give him telekinetic powers when the time is right. It’s never been made clear if Abbie experiences anything mysterious while wearing the glasses, but enough strange coincidences encourage her to lean into the idea as she tries to beat the invincible. Pac-Man level.
Know What You’re Getting Into
While Relaxers The premise itself is ridiculous, the execution is absolutely nauseating. Abbie is wearing only her underwear, which is obviously dirty due to the terms of her bet. When the pipes burst, you are sprayed with the contents. When the windows break, the elements pour in. When someone stops by, it could be an acquaintance offering expired food from the fridge or an assassin who will detonate a bomb in the area even though Abbie refuses to leave.
Abbie lives through it all, for months, maybe even years. He uses a walking stick to collect rainwater from a broken window, nearly kills himself with dangerous chemicals, and girds himself with dirt so that if he ever wins the game, he might be stuck to the couch or physically unable to stand. Everything is disgusting. To make matters worse, every single character in it Relaxation it is catastrophically impossible.
While Relaxation may feel like an endurance test in every way imaginable, it does an excellent job of getting its point across. It is meant to appeal to all senses. It’s meant to show how desperate Abbie is in pursuing her challenge. It’s meant to be uncomfortable and claustrophobic. It’s almost as if writer-director Joel Potrykus made this movie specifically to annoy people, and if so, he succeeds in every measurable way.
As of this writing, Relaxation is streaming for free on Tubi.
