"The life of a repo man is always intense."
A true gem of 80s cinema, Repo Man is a truly unique sci-fi thriller. While not to be taken too seriously, this film is an enjoyable ride that takes the audience through the dark streets of Los Angeles while hunting down a car possibly involved in an extraterrestrial cover-up. Featuring a very young Emilio Estevez and an always incredible Harry Dean Stanton, Repo Man is a fun techno-noir adventure in film.
The film opens with a Chevy Malibu swerving down a desert highway, only to be pulled over by police. When the officer checks the truck of the car, a bright light emitting from the trunk (think Pulp Fiction's suitcase) vaporizes the cop, and the car speeds away. Later, the audience meets punk-rocker Otto (Estevez) as he is fired from his super market job where he later runs into Bud (Stanton) who offers Otto $25 to help him drive a car. Otto soon becomes a repo man and is taken under Bud's wing and learns tricks to repossessing cars. A call goes out for $20,000 on the Chevy Malibu seen earlier in the film, which begins a chase amongst the repo men throughout the city.
Repo Man is not only a gritty look at Los Angeles in the 80s, it is also a punk rock film. Featuring a soundtrack of only punk music and an intro song written by Iggy Pop, there are also a group of punks robbing gas stations throughout the film that are often just one step ahead of Otto and the Repo Men. We also see Otto go from being one of the punks, to joining the ranks of the repo men, who are their own kind of rebels against society. Director Alex Cox
Full of witty one-liners, glowing cars, rival repo men, and punks, Repo Man is a film that any fan of cheesy 80s films can enjoy and makes for a fun look into a world that many are not familiar with.
Rating: ★★★★☆
Recommended for fans of: Sid and Nancy (1986), sci-fi/fantasy, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998), mystery/thrillers
0 Comments.