The Dean of Cinema

Written by Dean Zarbaugh II

Every eve, of every hallow. 

From the hilariously twisted mind of James Roday Rodriguez (Shawn Spencer, Psych) comes Gravy, a movie about a trio of costumed misfits with very special dietary requirements who seize a Mexican cantina and force the staff to engage in a late night of gaming, food, and libations. The only caveat is what’s on the menu.

Many of you already know about my obsession with Psych, so it was a given that I’d be checking out Gravy. The episodes of Psych that James Roday Rodriguez wrote and directed are some of my favorite of the entire series. They were love letters to the types of horror and slasher flicks Rodriguez loved growing up. In Gravy, fans of those episodes will instantly recognize Rodriguez’s unique style, vision and, of course, a great script filled with witty one-liners and plenty of obscure ’80s film references to go around. The story is unique and has plenty of twists and turns that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the credits roll.

With Gravy, writer and director James Roday Rodriguez serves up a delightful dish of delicious flavor. He knows his way behind a camera, setting up a visual feast for your eyes. There are so many shots that I love, it’s hard to pick a favorite. Similar to the episodes of Psych he directed, it’s clear this film is a throwback to an era in horror that Rodriguez loves so much. Together with cinematographer Amanda Treyz, they bring that 80s vibe to the film. Treyz’s use of neon inside the bar along with deep shadows highlight the crazy story unfolding before us. Hues of green from the fluorescents give scenes an extra sickly vibe. She is a talented director of photography who has gone on to do a number of projects both on the big screen and on television.

Rodriguez’s use of needle drops is 🤌 (Side note: I’d love to see him and Edgar Wright in a needle drop challenge. No, I don’t know how that would work. That’s not important right now) Anyway, back to what is important: Gravy. Shout-out to the awesome Curt Smith from Tears For Fears who did the original music for the film with Charlton Pettus. There are a few scenes throughout Gravy that Rodriguez’s choice of music pushes from great to memorable.

This is a horror comedy after all so how about we dig into the gore effects in this. In a word? Sublime. The Walking Dead greats Greg Nicotero and Howard Berger, the latter of whom also won an Academy Award as makeup artist for The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe are the brilliant artists behind all the effects in the film. The story allows them to cut loose with a buffet of limbs and entrails galore literally being served up on platters. It’s obvious they had a blast working on the film as they deliver some of the grossest special effects makeup I have seen in some time. Even after having seen the film as many times as I have, I still find myself getting queasy during certain scenes.

Gravy gave Rodriguez the attention and cred behind the camera that he so rightly deserved and proved that he’s more than capable as a filmmaker with a knack for clever writing and an eye for directing. He gets what people want to see in a movie, and he delivers it on all cylinders. 

The entire cast knocks it out of the park. It’s clear that Rodriguez gave them a lot to work with, and it pays off. The misfits – Michael Weston, Jimmi Simpson, and Lily Cole – are delightfully demented. It’s funny how you equally dislike these characters, yet still want to see what kind of antics they have up their sleeves. They have great chemistry together as the twisted sadists they are, trying to impress each other with how depraved they can behave. Michael Weston and Jimmi Simpson play off each other well. I’d love to see them do more together. This was my introduction to Lily Cole so I wasn’t sure what to expect going into the film the first time but she was a delight to watch as the newest, and most sadistic member of the minstrels from hell.

Their victims, played by Sutton Foster, Molly Ephraim, Paul Rodriguez, Gabriel Luna, Lothaire Bluteau, Ethan Sandler, and the hilarious and amazing Gabourey Sibide, are forced to take part in their captors’ games like Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon, while they work to find a way to escape. Every character is unique and, pardon the pun, fully fleshed out. They’re not perfect people, some are vain, some are too proud, and they each have their own baggage that they carry, but you empathize with them and want them to come out on top. The desperation to win the games in order to survive feels real, and the horror of watching the losing party die because of them is like a punch to the gut.

After finishing the film and wrapping up Psych, Rodriguez went on to direct episodes for Battle Creek, Rush Hour, Rosewood, Blood Drive, The Resident, The Crossover and most recently High Potential which stars Kaitlin Olson from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia who gets to show her range beyond Dee Reynolds. The show also features fellow Psych alum and Gravy co-writer Todd Harthan as showrunner and Gravy cinematographer Amanda Treyz. With his success behind the camera on Gravy and hours of television, Rodriguez is back in the director’s chair for his third film, The Rule of Threes. Collaborating again with Harthan on the script which is based on Sam Ripley’s novel of the same name, the film should be out sometime later this year. I’m excited to see what this team has in store after everything that they’ve learned this last decade.

Gravy is the perfect recipe for fans of horror comedies. It has been a part of my yearly Halloween viewing routine for 10 years now. It makes for a fun and gore filled All Hallow’s Eve. I cannot wait to turn more people onto this awesome movie. As my friend Dan said upon showing him the film, “thank you, James Roday Rodriguez for subverting typical horror tropes!”

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️