The Tribeca Festival is underway in New York City, bringing an incredibly wide variety of projects to the big screen. One of those projects is hilarious, raunchy and surprisingly heartbreaking comedy Hey, Viktor!,
It’s been 25 years since all eyes were on the Cree kid from Edmonton who made it big with a starring role in the indie hit Smoke Signals. Now grown up, former child actor Cody Lightning is deep in the bottle and down on his luck, basking in past glories via faded VHS tapes and endlessly rewriting zombie-priest scripts with creative partner Kate. When his friends stage an intervention, Cody seizes the moment — and camera crew — to take one last shot at producing “Smoke Signals 2.” With backing from a psycho investor and in hot pursuit of Adam Beach’s wig to tie the film together, Lightning’s deliriously dysfunctional set becomes a mess of unresolved tension and self-destruction, leading to a long-overdue reckoning with the community that raised him.
While there are some surprising elements to Hey, Viktor!, the film is first and foremost a comedy and it certainly delivers on that front. Whether you’re into slapstick physical comedy, dry humor, or just over-the-top ridiculous situations, this film is certainly going to get a few good chuckles out of you.
That being said, this film certainly pushes the limits. It is by no means a family film and is not advertised as such. If you are someone who is easily offended or just someone who doesn’t enjoy raunchy humor, this film may not be for you. That will unfortunately limit the size of its audience, but for those who are still on board with this type of film, it’s going to deliver some laughs.
Apart from the humor though, there is actually a lot of heart in this film. Surrounded by almost nonstop nonsense, there is a tragic story of a former child actor and his self-destructive behavior that is destroying his relationships with those closest to him. A handful of emotionally-charged scenes will keep you on your toes between binge-drinking party montages and wig heists.
The success of this film lies heavily on the shoulders of the cast. Cody Lightning is hilarious and yet believable in those emotional moments that bring depth to the film. He is matched, if not surpassed, by Hannah Cheesman, who delivers a powerful performance as Cody’s partner, Kate. Together, their chemistry in both comedic and dramatic scenes is what carries the film and makes it work on both levels. Simon Baker and Colin Mochrie also deliver memorable performances in smaller roles.
Overall, Hey, Viktor! is certainly not going to be for everyone. Its raunchy humor pushes the limits of what a general audience is typically willing to watch. But those who do enjoy this type of film will be treated to hilarious but surprisingly emotional journey driven by the performances of its two stars. If you want a ridiculous comedy but something that still has some heart, Hey, Viktor! is worth the watch.
Be sure to check out more of our coverage from this year’s Tribeca Festival.