Sour Minnows [Fantasia International Film Festival Review]

by Mike McGranaghan

One thing you can always count on at the Fantasia International Film Festival is experimentation. This is the place to come to see storytellers taking risks and trying new things. Harrison Atkins is one of them. His movie Sour Minnows is relentlessly unconventional. It’s hard to know what to make of the picture but watching it walk a high-wire is a reminder of the bold work being done in the indie realm.

Ricky (David Brown) and roommate Tepper (Chase Williamson) are hardcore cinephiles. They casually discuss cinematographers the way sports fans reference players. During a walk through Los Angeles, they stumble upon a group of people inexplicably licking the pavement. What this signifies, they do not know. However, Ricky is soon overtaken by a yellow force that causes his world to take on a dreamlike quality where things happen randomly and nothing makes sense. Tepper seems to be affected by it, as well, as does Aura (Red Rocket’s Suzanna Son), the woman Ricky has recently begun dating.

I could not honestly tell you what anything means in Sour Minnows. I cannot explain why the characters keep finding tiny fish in their hands. Or how Aura can reach her hand through a mirror and have it end up inside Ricky’s car. Or why Ricky and Tepper can no longer make sense of time. In fact, trying to apply logic to the movie is an exercise in futility. The whole thing is designed to be a trippy experience that plays with viewers’ heads the same way the yellow force plays with the characters’.

The lack of a proper plot makes it hard to enjoy the film in a traditional manner. There is no arc to follow, no true drama to become absorbed by. Its random nature can be intermittently frustrating, as nothing appears to be connected to anything else. Then again, that’s kind of the point. Atkins isn’t so much telling a story as he is creating a vibe. He is the yellow force and we are the characters. Even if I didn’t particularly enjoy that feeling, I certainly respect the ambition.

The best thing about Sour Minnows is Suzanna Son, who gives a sincere performance amid a lot of craziness. Beyond that, I truly don’t know what I think about this movie. It takes big chances. It confounds and confuses. I wanted to scream while watching it, but my eyes couldn’t look away. If Fantasia hadn't delivered at least one big-time head-scratcher, I'd have been disappointed.

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