François Simard, Anouk Whissell, Yoann-Karl Whissell
Turbo Kid

THE REVIEW

In a post-apocalyptic future, The Kid, a marginalized orphan, meets a mysterious girl. The two become friends until Zeus, the sadistic leader of the Wasteland, kidnaps the young woman. To save her, The Kid must overcome his fears and free the Wasteland from evil.

What happens when that madman Jason Eisener, the one from "Hobo with a Shotgun," is in production, and directing are the three flip-outs from the splatter short "Bagman - Operation: Massenmord!"?

Well, "Turbo Kid" is an independent film that pays homage to '80s cinema (and more), with a "Mad Max" setting. It's a shame about the limited budget, which somewhat clipped the film's wings at times. Some moments felt less successful than others, but despite everything, the final result is more than good. Truth be told, apart from some technical limitations, I found certain dialogues, especially the humor side, a bit too limited and crude. Absolutely a point in favor is the splatter, which might surprise the average viewer, but not those who have seen the short "Bagman," as I previously mentioned. Some scenes were practically recycled from that short film—not that it's a bad thing, on the contrary—but those who have seen it will surely notice and it will definitely excite them. Appropriate music given the context and the nod to the '80s, but they didn't drive me crazy, though this is a personal thing. In the cast, the only known face is that of Michael Ironside, once again in the role of the villain, specializing in that type of role (like Verhoeven's "Total Recall" and Cronenberg's "Scanners"), but I must say I was pleasantly surprised by the performances of the two protagonists, the boy and the girl. The world of Wasteland, where "Turbo Kid" is set, would need to be expanded, perhaps with a second chapter (theoretically in pre-production) and with a slightly larger budget, maybe with BMX (yes, because it seems like the only vehicle in that world) still as a point of reference.

A film to watch especially for enthusiasts of a certain type of cinema, namely science fiction (and splatter) and a period like the '80s, perhaps inflated in this sense, but here the three directors add their touch, without any particular authorial aspirations.