MANDIBLES

Despite an ultra-brief runtime of 75 minutes, Mandibles is as boring as it is odd and as frustrating as it is misguided.

The latest entry in Quentin Dupieux' growing cabinet of quaint movies, Mandibles sees two dimwits stumble upon a giant fly and hatch a plan to train the insect to fetch food, like a living, breathing drone.

It's a doozy of a premiseand it might have delivered a wonderfully weird movie if Dupieux had followed through on it, but inexplicably the director sidelines the fly for large stretches, only to focus on a series of haphazard events that befall the oafish duo, none of which are particularly funny or interesting.

Mandibles isn't helped either by the dubious acting chops of leads Grégoire Ludig and David Marsaisnor the laden dialogue or the faltering tempo. The only times the picture briefly springs to life are in scenes featuring an unnaturally loud-taking Adèle Exarchopoulos, yet even then Dupieux regularly botches the comic timing that might have elicited a laugh or a smile.

Thus, despite an ultra-brief runtime of around 75 minutes, Mandibles is as boring as it is odd and as frustrating as it is misguided. You would expect a movie with this title to have a lot more bite.

release: 2021

director: Quentin Dupieux

starring: Grégoire Ludig, David Marsais, Adèle Exarchopoulos, India Hair