Let’s Start a Cult
Directed by Ben Kitnick
Written by Stavros Halkias, Wes Haney, Ben Kitnick
Starring Stavros Halkias, Wes Haney, Eric Rahill, Katy Fullen
Unrated
Runtime: 90 minutes
In theaters October 25

by Shayna Davis, Staff Writer

For the past several years, there’s been a steady shift in the comedy landscape with older, well-established comedians airing their grievances about ‘not being able to joke about anything anymore’ given the fear (or more likely for them, the annoyance) of getting canceled by the masses. Despite the live comedy industry thriving amid this dialogue and younger comedians finding ways to be clever and hilarious without punching down, this tension has still trickled into the film industry and had its effect on the comedy genre. The internet seems to all agree that they ‘just don’t make ‘em like they used to anymore’ (or at least at the frequency they used to). More recent comedies, like Game Night, Blockers, Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar, and Booksmart, still do well but tend to fly under the radar. The most successful we’ve probably seen in recent years has been Bottoms, a comedy that spoke to Gen Z in a way I haven’t seen from many of the others.

When I saw that stand-up comedian and former host of the popular Cum Town podcast Stavros Helkias was releasing a comedy film written by and starring himself, I had high hopes. Stand-up comedians starring in movies has rarely gone badly (think Steve Martin, Eddie Murphy, George Carlin, Maria Bamford, etc.), and Helkias is such a popular figure amongst my general age group that I was immediately intrigued. Unfortunately, my guy kind of let me down. Though his debut film Let’s Start a Cult has all the makings of classic early 2000s comedies like Wet Hot American Summer, Zack and Miri Make a Porno, Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle, etc., the whiplash between it’s heartfelt moments and it’s vulgar moments ruin any chance this movie had of joining those ranks. There were too many ideas going on at once, trying to grasp that quintessential modern comedy energy.

Let’s Start a Cult follows Chip (Stavros Halkias), a misfit member of a small cult. When his fellow members decide to “transcend” (aka group suicide) without him, Chip is forced to return to the real world, where he has very few prospects in life. Luckily for him, he discovers his former cult leader William (Wes Haney) did not die in the transcending ritual, and Chip convinces him they should start a new group together as co-leaders. The two embark on a road trip to gather members, including military reject Tyler (Eric Rahill), mentally unstable mom Diane (Katy Fullen), and mysterious hitchhiker Jim Smith (Daniel Simonsen). Together, the group endures numerous shenanigans and pitfalls on the journey to secure a homebase for their new "family.”

For such a proven comedian, Helkias seems to have given himself the short end of the stick with this movie. Playing a purposefully obnoxious character is a tough gig, especially when you want that character to have his redeeming moments by the end and win over the audience. Unfortunately for Chip, every time he comes close to having a real heartfelt moment, he says something so stupid that it’s hard to get onboard. The supporting cast is what ultimately keeps the energy going. It’s obvious Rahill, Fullen, Haney, etc. all have much more acting experience than Halkias does, and the funniest lines in the script are given to them as well. Watching Tyler and Diane fight to keep the group afloat while navigating their own lack of self-awareness is hilarious and engaging. However, most of the plot moves with Chip and William’s dynamic, which borders on grating.

The upside to having a famous comedian as the driving force behind a movie is getting some great sneaky cameos, and this movie is chalk full of them! We’re treated to a Joe Pera cameo where he plays a ‘thug’ type, but one that speaks in Pera’s typical slow, lilting speech, with nothing but lovely things to say about his girlfriend. WWE star CM Punk gets a recurring cameo playing a RV dweller with eyes for Diane. Not by any means a showstopper performance, but it certainly got a giggle out of me. There are also quick moments with Ethan Suplee (My Name is Earl) as Chip’s brother, comedian Tom Papa as a news anchor, and frequent comedy duo Jeremy Levick and Rajat Suresh as gullible house painters.

Ultimately, Let’s Start a Cult is a comedy that misses the mark but could be a small step towards better things from Halkias down the line. The comedian recently stated in an interview that he “dreams of making his own Billy Madison” and would love for a big part of his career going forward to involve “making a handful of really dumb, fun, quick comedies.” I think that’s definitely in his future. With enough passion and practice, maybe he could be this generation’s Adam Sandler. I think the defining factor will be whether he can play a comedic character beyond his own exaggerated personality.