Let’s Start a Cult (2024)[Movie Review]

Let’s Start A Cult proves that indie cinema is the last real home for American comedy. Take your rich takes on wash cloths, Liquid Death deals and other nonsense straight to Netflix or Austin. We need to applaud and support low budget comedies made to do one thing. Sell an audience a premise and make us laugh. That means actually laugh and not watch what has to be a 49 year old Adam Devine keep up his Workaholics schtick for a 20th year. Today, we enter the world of Ben Kitnick’s Let’s Start A Cult.

A Greek Star is Born

Stavros Halikas knows comedy. As part of the legendary Cumtown trio, he left the world of podcasts behind to try his fortune in feature films, comedy specials…and another podcast. What Stavros brings to the film is a little more than we’ve seen in Tires or his other acting offerings. I did dig the Soderbergh thing he did about a year ago. But, he’s never really had to carry a film like this. Which is weird to say because so much of Let’s Start A Cult is ensemble dependent.

Then, we have to keep focusing back on Chip and his hope for redemption. It might just be me, but I never truly bought the need to give Chip hope. When we have the three months later time jump, it should hit harder than I don’t know what 10 year olds thought of Endgame. So much of Let’s Start A Cult begins capitalizing on the idea of mass suicide, but fails to mine all the humor. Why? Because it feels scared to death at points of alienating the audience.

Listen here, people. If your audience bought into a movie called Let’s Start A Cult, you got to assume some of the dearly devoted aren’t coming back home.

Cults are Comedic Fodder

Chip (Stavros) is a loser. What makes his condition so tragic is that a cult doesn’t even want to invite him into their death ritual. When he gets dumped in favor of William (Wes Haney), he’s left returning to the life that he desperately wanted to escape. Much of Let’s Start A Cult is based around Chip’s desire to die and have virgin sex in Heaven. Now, he’s back on earth with no job and everyone seemingly hates him. Then, he discovers William is alive and is a clown?

What Let’s Start A Cult does well is make you dwell in the misery of the moment. Some might call that cringe comedy, but I love it when characters don’t have an easy go of things. So, when Chip decides to take a second stab at making a cult, I wanted to see how much it would fail. What the audience gets in the back half of Let’s Start A Cult is a later era Meatballs installment with very tired adults.

When you’re not wanted

Inclusion is inherently funny. It’s the thing that most cults and frats are based upon and Let’s Start A Cult understands. Haney’s leader character gets a chance to show that some people never stop being evil. However, he knows he can get away with it. As much as Chip grows, he kinda understands what led him to fall into this trap and seemingly wants to help the others. But, there’s also this hesitancy to his actions.

Let’s Start A Cult works best when it leans to the awkwardness of surviving a tragedy you kinda caused and then wanting a redo on those misdeeds. It’s so delightfully evil in a way that feels very American at its core. Given its rural setting, it hits on a super special level.

Be your own freak

If there is anything one can take away from Let’s Start A Cult, it’s that you can’t control what other people think of you. Even if what you are doing is weird as Hell, you can find a way to make it work for you. I thought it could have went meaner, but the heart it shows will help it win a bigger audience.

Let’s Start A Cult is now in select theaters