Reviews

Les Dissociés is one of my favorite movies. Full stop. It's up in my top five with the likes of Hot Fuzz and Spiderverse. It's definitely not a perfect movie--it's probably more like a Hollywood 6.5/10--but boy, I don't care, it has heart and ambition enough to fully make up for that.

It's got concepts: This is a body swap movie. Tired of movies where two people swap once, learn to get along, and then switch back at the end? This has at least 30 swaps, not including all the referenced swaps, backstories, possessions, and soul splits and fusions. Les Dissociés imagines a world where body swapping is possible and then shows off ALL the derivatives, reasonings, and intentions therein. Unfortunately, with a runtime of 75 minutes, it only touches on a lot of the many ideas and leaves you wanting more, but I'm so excited and appreciative that they chose to go big instead of playing it safe with a simple Freaky Friday.

It's got quality: Let me remind you that this is a YouTube video. Not a platform-produced YouTube Original. Just a free-to-all video. Think of the expectations you have for a YouTube video. They didn't have to try so hard for us. And yet they did. Six months of work, astoundingly effective acting, a full crew, a full score, special effects--all on an indie budget and product placement! A little went a long long way, and it takes skill to do that.

It's got heart: Three guys with a little experience, a lot of chutzpah, and a couple friends wanted to try making a movie and then they DID. They just did this! Indie projects are always impressive because making a feature film is no small feat, but I was so blown away by how genuinely GOOD it ended up being. It's an engaging homebrewed adventure, an inspiring passion project, and a cozy understated gem just waiting patiently to be discovered.

Gosh, I love this movie. It's got a layered story with rich lore, actors that know how to act off of each other fantastically, and a polished screen presence that's lovely to look at and listen to. It's still evident that it's a 2015 YouTube indie that could've used another revision and a tighter focus, but considering the price of admission, the company in its weight class, and the sheer ambition behind it, I can more than forgive it. It sure is something special.

The first half and the second half are almost different shows, and I so wish I could review them separately because I'm so conflicted over this.

First half was 10/10, honest-to-goodness great. There were some good twists, some creepy psychotic grins, some incredibly fun characters that were either charming from the start or naturally grew on me. It was suspenseful at one moment, surprises at every turn, then ten minutes later my face hurt from smiling at these cops on a picnic or the budding romance in the background or just how proud a dad the Chief is. A wonderful mix of genres that had me rushing home from work to watch.

If only it were just ten episodes. If only. Because after episode 9 or 10, it just falls apart. No more than a 5/10. It becomes repetitive, sappy, and heartbreaking - not because of the drama, but because now it felt like a chore, like I was only watching the last episodes in order to finish this show I once loved. Shock factor only works so many times, so rather than continue to get emotional over these events, after a few episodes of the same old, I was numb to it. A right shame. I can't say much without spoiling stuff, just don't expect an ending nearly as strong as the beginning.

Is it worth a watch, though? Yeah, I'd say so. The first half was just that wonderful, and maybe you'll like the ending more than I did. But if you lose interest and it becomes a chore to watch, don't bother; the ending isn't that gratifying. Just go back and rewatch the cops try to teach an adult to ride a bike or when they go scare high schoolers instead. The good times.