The Surrealist Comedy Hidden Gem You Can Find On HBO Max
There are plenty of classic comedies you can find on HBO Max. "The Hangover" trilogy is available in its entirety, and you can find newer hits like "The King of Staten Island." You can locate all this and more on the streaming platform's main page, but if you're willing to do a little digging, you can find more obscure gems.
One of the weirdest, wildest comedic films the service offers is "Schizopolis." You may not have heard of it before, but it's a must-watch, especially if you're a fan of Steven Soderbergh. The director of "Contagion" and "Ocean's Eleven" also wrote and starred in the film, the latter of which is a rare occurrence. He's not like Jon Favreau, where he often shows up in his own movies, so "Schizopolis" is a treat in case you've always wondered what the filmmaker looks like.
He made this surrealist comedic film before his Oscar win, and it's an absolute trip. Go into this movie with an open mind and enjoy this true hidden gem on HBO Max.
Schizopolis defies description
It's a little tough to offer a cohesive synopsis. "Schizopolis" follows a non-linear narrative, where the same story is told from three different perspectives. All these stories circle around Fletcher Munson, who works for an organization similar (but legally, distinctly different) to Scientology. He does the bidding of the guru for the group, and suffice to say, things only get more bizarre as the movie goes on. Soderbergh had a hand in pretty much every aspect of this film, and some of his other credits on it include cinematography, editing, and music.
It's a bizarre movie, but it also shows the singular, idiosyncratic style of Steven Soderbergh, who would become one of the most prominent forces in Hollywood. Daniel Barnes of Dare Daniel offers arguably the funniest description of the film, which goes, "'Schizopolis' is like the product of Luis Bunuel and Richard Lester collaborating on a Tex Avery cartoon adapted from a Franz Kafka novel."
"Schizopolis" may sound like a wacky journey, but it's guerrilla filmmaking at its finest. In fact, the reason Soderbergh took on the lead role was "There was just nobody I knew that I could make that demand of — come and work for free for nine months whenever I feel like it in Baton Rouge" (via The Sundance Kids: How the Mavericks Took Back Hollywood). It's experimental and just the thing to watch if you're tired of big-budget spectacles. "Schizopolis" is now available to watch on HBO Max.