Goin Ape 2, written, directed, and starring Apostoly Peter Kouroumailis (a.k.a. Toly AK), certainly lives up to its name. The film is an experimental montage of zany and chaotic characters, all of which will leave you scratching your head and perhaps a little disturbed. While it is difficult to explain the plot, this self-referential exchange does so in a way. “What’s the meaning of this?” “You’re the doctor; you figure it out.”
The movie opens with a drugged-out guy in a leather jacket stumbling down a sidewalk. We see a corrupt doctor handing out drugs to a prostitute. A couple, along with their friend, visit a restaurant that prides itself on criticizing and harassing patrons. A homeless guy utters cryptic sayings while trying to take down a corrupt politician. An older man sits in jail and is stabbed by his cellmates. In a back alley, two girls complain about living in the same town while outrunning a police officer. What does all this mean, and how do these storylines tie together? You’re the viewer; you figure it out. But know that I never did.
“In a back alley, two girls complain about living in the same town while outrunning a police officer.”
Goin Ape 2 runs about 67 minutes and is filmed entirely in black and white, aside from a few insert shots in color. Included in the total runtime are two different endings. This could be described as less narrative-driven and more as a collection of semi-coherent scenes in which characters deliver lines with little correlation. This is a very big stretch, but perhaps this drew inspiration from Jim Jarmusch’s Coffee and Cigarettes. Or is it sourced from the Otis Redding song? I’m not sure.
You could say this is kind of a cult experimental film in which the story doesn’t necessarily have to make sense. Characters stumble through dialogue, sometimes mispronouncing words (By mistake? Intentionally? It is hard to say for sure). Sometimes, clips are edited at correct points, but other times, they aren’t, leading to audio overlaps and pieces of dialogue cut short. These may be mistakes, but perhaps they were artistic choices.
Goin Ape 2 is barely over an hour long, but I felt disoriented after 5 minutes. Who were all those characters? What did it all mean? Where did my hour go? This movie will take you on a trip, and that’s not necessarily a good thing.
"…felt disoriented after 5 minutes."
