Review of Kaboom

KABOOM is a comical science-fiction story about a group of college students, each experiencing a unique sexual odyssey. Laced with undertones of horror. The title is catchy, but if KABOOM were renamed to describe what the viewer should expect, it may go something like… "Donnie Darko Goes to White Castle While Horny and Tripping on Acid Made by David Lynch." Thomas Dekker (HEROES, 7TH HEAVEN) plays Smith, a sexually confused young man and the central character around which the rest of the crazy, hormonal universe of KABOOM revolves. Haley Bennett (THE HOLE, MARLEY & ME) plays Stella, Smith's lesbian best friend and lover to Lorelei (Roxane Mesquida), a strange, exotic woman with mystical sexual powers. Juno Temple (THE OTHER BOLEYN GIRL, ATONEMENT) plays London, a promiscuous pleasure guru who befriends Smith. Smith is haunted by visions of a troubled red-haired girl (Nicole LaLiberte, DINNER FOR SCHMUCKS) and violent men in animal masks. KABOOM is a bizarre journey full of plot twists and shocking jolts of abstraction. Araki has employed a nearly over-saturated color palette and stark contrast in lighting to pack punch into the heavy, uncomfortable scenes, while keeping the lighter moments resembling an R-rated TV sitcom version of THE BREAKFAST CLUB. Araki's dialogue is sharp and witty, at times nearly too much so. His stock of supporting and bit characters span an array of modern stereotypes, but the humor works well enough to summon laughter, even during the less original moments. While the first third of KABOOM skates by mostly on raunchy humor, sex and nudity, the remainder of the film will have many scratching their heads and others applauding it as a pseudo-psychedelic work of modern art.