Archenemy (2020)

December 11, 2020 12:14 PM

Max Fist (Joe Manganiello) is a limping, alcoholic, meth/coke-addled homeless man who claims to be a superhero from elsewhere in time and space. No one believes his stories except for a local teen named Hamster (Skylan Brooks).

From writer-director Adam Egypt Mortimer (Daniel Isn't Real). Available for digital rental on various outlets in the US.

posted by DirtyOldTown (4 comments total)

Loved the premise, really like Joe Manganiello, Paul Scheer had an interesting off-type role.

IMDB trivia suggests Nic Cage was a candidate for Max Fist - really glad Manganiello got the part instead.

The pacing in the first half wasn't so hot, then it got kind of crazy (in a good way). But still, pacing issues.
posted by porpoise at 5:36 PM on December 11, 2020 [2 favorites]

Isn't this approximately the plot of The Maxx?
posted by FatherDagon at 12:36 AM on December 12, 2020 [2 favorites]

It also seems adjacent to Hancock. If someone who's seen both can tell me if this is better, worse, or just really different, I might look at it.
posted by Halloween Jack at 3:54 PM on December 12, 2020

This has a much lower budget and the ambiguity of Fist's reality persists for much of the film. Definitely grittier than Hancock.

FatherDagon's assessment is good; a trans-dimensional non-human "power" who is physically limited while in our world is stuck here, most people/ the world thinks he's just crazy, but there are a few who come to care for him.
posted by porpoise at 5:16 PM on December 12, 2020 [1 favorite]