The blurb for Flux Gourmet will likely be the strangest thing you read today: “Set at an institute devoted to culinary and alimentary performance, a collective finds themselves embroiled in power struggles, artistic vendettas, and gastrointestinal disorders.” Written and directed by Peter Strickland (In Fabric), Flux Gourmet promises to be a film as strange as the brief synopsis hints at.
Now that you’ve googled “alimentary” (relating to nourishment or sustenance), you, like me, are probably very curious as to what exactly a culinary and alimentary performance entails. The Sonic Catering Institute will provide answers.
There’s tension within a performance collective – a “culinary collective”, led by a bright red-haired Elle Di Elle (Fatma Mohamed). The drama that will unfold around the collective is to be recorded by Stones (Makis Papadimitrou), a journalist tasked by the Sonic Catering Institutes director Jan Stevens (a bold-lipped Gwendoline Christie) with following the artists around and writing about their performances.
I went to art school (not a flex, trust me) and I haven’t encountered anyone quite like the caricatures in Flux Gourmet since I left a particular College of Art and Design behind me. And the characters in Flux Gourmet are all caricatures of various archetypes one would find at such an institution. It seems likely that unless viewers are familiar with performance art — and performance artists — these caricatures will not really resonate with them.
However, surely everyone knows someone who takes themselves too seriously, and this is the heart of the characters in Flux Gourmet. The only character who seems not to take himself too seriously is Stones. Stones is suffering from a nasty bout of GERD – an ironic predicament for someone who must work around those who work with food, that I’m sure is lost on no one.
Shudder
Perhaps Strickland includes all of Stones’ gastrointestinal problems, and embarrassment at his inappropriate “letting of wind” to let us know that this film is meant to be humorous (both in the modern and original sense of the word). Stones narrates both his time with the collective and his gastric distress in Greek throughout the film, which I suppose makes it sound a bit nicer, but the fart-talk isn’t limited to Stones.
The performances themselves are fine, if a little goofy in how seriously they take themselves. This can be a struggle in performance art, and the filming of. What can be totally immersive and entrancing in person can be downright boring on-screen. Elle di Elle rolls around naked and covered in blood, like a pig awaiting slaughter, as her co-performers (Ariane Labed and Asa Butterfield) make food and play with pedal effects. Other performance pieces in Flux Gourmet follow suit; sonically, they are interesting, but they are less-than visually engrossing.
Gwendoline Christie’s Jan Stevens and Asa Butterfield’s Billy are the most fun characters to watch in Flux Gourmet. Billy wears a denim jacket and a ridiculous haircut; super-believable as an angsty art-school boy— one who may or may not have an egg fetish. A scene of sexual tension between Billy and Stevens is perhaps one of the funniest in the film, and the beginning of a relationship that is the most interesting part of Flux Gourmet. Christie is impressive in everything she’s in and her performance in Flux Gourmet is no exception. She carriers herself exactly how you’d imagine the director of a prestigious culinary performance school would; her outfits and dramatic eye-makeup are the cherry on top.
Shudder
Stones’ tummy troubles worsen, despite his doctor’s (Richard Brennan) hard work, and tension in Flux Gourmet rises. Jan Stevens and Elle di Elle aren’t getting along, arguing constantly over the direction of the performances and their cohesion. An outside group, called The MangroveSnacks (who had been rejected from the Institute) threaten to disrupt performances and cause upheaval. Things escalate, but it’s unfortunately bland and predictable.
While Flux Gourmet is plenty funny as satire, it’s a particular satire that’s unlikely to connect with most audiences. Visually, audiences will have plenty to feast their eyes on, and the sound design – including the experimental noises (made with food!) during the avant-garde performance pieces is excellent. But the story is a little thin, and the characters don’t give you much to hang on to.
Flux Gourmet premieres on Shudder on Thursday, September 15th, as part of their “61 Days of Halloween”. It’s an unusual choice for the horror streaming service; most viewers will be looking to Shudder to provide them with lots of scares during the lead up to Halloween. Flux Gourmet isn’t a horror movie, and it’s not scary, but it is fun and different. A little palate-cleanser for your September horror binge.
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