Manbaby is an achievement in realizing and creatively interpreting many of the relationships of today. Gender, adulting, love, sex, ego, science, the fate of humans upon the earth, and rebellion against the capitalist society, are all conjured in the magick of the movies with the flair of Mr. Lightell's talent, eye, life, and enlightened gift of the unconscious. For all those living in these days, from queer to cis and all points in between, this movie relates. A lot of the fun is that this movie will tickle and delight and engage with your unconscious, as your conscious indulges in the joy of the story. Well acted and created with a deft hand, creatively, the film succeeds in accomplishing what the underground films of bygone eras gave us. Magick, enlightenment, and a mirror to hold up to ourselves or to cast our intentions on others. This word gets tossed around too much today, but that doesn't make it any less true when used appropriately. Tim Lightell is a genius. The New Orleans born and bred independent filmmaker comes to Seattle by way of LA, Portland, Kenneth Anger, Jean Cocteau, Ken Russell, Hollywood, and more. His biggest endeavor, so far, Manbaby, has finally hit the screens after over a decade in the making. Watch it, more than once. Let it soak in, process it, and be changed by its wise insight. Don't be fooled by the optics, this is not a single focus movie about the long-existing kitchy trend relating to a form of fantasy fun where domination exists as placing a grown man back into the imprisonment of a nursery life. This movie is about life. Its about me. Its about you. Bravo, Tim Lightell. We can't wait for more!

Thanks for making this movie! Was really fun, Infact I'd say this movie is better than most movies I've seen coming out of Hollywood lately. Kudos to the cast as well they all did a great job with some solid performances. Ya know I expected to just see a silly comedy with slapstick humor but I was surprised how much the storyline pulled me in and kept me asking what was next. The movie went deeper than I expected which was a pleasant surprise. The random northwest scenery shots was a nice touch really felt like this story was happening right here in Washington which I appreciated. I even recognized some streets in the city shots that was very cool. I hope you decide to make more movies going forward. And for the first timers in the cast let them know they did a great job and I hope to see them in other projects.

It's hilarious

and totally insane. I think the neuroplasticity of my brain may have extended past its legal limit.

I mean I actually made it to the end and was like

Yes. We have left the reservation. But the joke is we were never on it to begin with. Not for one second when this movie started were we on any holy nor protected land. Nothing stable. We just kept promising ourselves their would be stability up ahead...but god you think we would've realized sooner that if we just base the present on patterns of the past- we'd get it. Any and all rules- out the window.

It's just impressive how....

how much it does not give one care about one thing. And what I mean by this is. You set up a certain precedent and then break it. Then reset it, Then break it. Again and Again. Precedent= made of crystal glass.... The movie= solid titanium baseball bat at full tilt.

Then you get to the end.... and you finally realize " GOD HE IS ONLY SETTING PRECEDENTS TO BREAK THEM- EVERYBODY OUTTA THE HOUSE ITS GONNA---" it's too late. The bomb goes off. Everyone's dead.

What's so funny. To me. Hysterical actually....

Is for 2 thirds of the film... the movie does this absurd cinema Verite variety sketch comedy- esque meets a non political lenny bruce on 5 sheets of acid Troma and Terry Gilliam fish eyed ECUS (or even Jeunet style) menage troi of visual and narrative....

and it's funny in its youthful abandon. I mean really. Can't take my eyes off the screen. More engaging than anything on a streaming network and I'm not being hyperbolic....

but the real joke....

is the end

where it's none of what I just mentioned. It's not...youthful in its style.... at all. And I'm thinking "this movie... " but it's already too late because I can't follow the "this movie.." with anything yet because I don't know what's exactly happening I just know I've been had.... Until "farce" appears at the end and cut to black and I'm like "You're gonna do this to us.... you're gonna deny us and make the joke so much our expectations!"

and I caught it as soon as you transitioned... the first time ever we see these very formalistic compositions- the pacific northwest establishing shots.... and I'm like "wha... what's this movie doing?"...all on a drone or sticks

And of course they denote the future- because of their moves: drone shots. And they're steeped in science (as she is.)

But everything changes. It isn't a fluke. All the shots and compositions are on sticks. They are all formalist visually. And the performances change. They become very minimalist. Restrained. Not the same genre or acting style....and everyone is in top notch aging make up- great physicality and vocal work. VFX is on point.

It is so different than the first 2/3rds of the film- flying in the face of being wild without abandon...but is yet the most wild because of such a breaking of precedent.

And to me that's the funniest joke. What this movie says about aging. What it says about kids- how her own child abandons her but gets the person who convinced her to have a child (which split them apart because she didn't want to have one then split them apart again because she did.... and then brought them back together for him to take care of her because the child couldn't be bothered.... aging- having children-- and what the film is saying--- is all a farce)

And then the idea about ending up alone (which is brought up about the grandfather's story and it happens to her). And how he has to baby her in the end.

And what's so funny is how you refuse the audience - both visually and stylistically what they'd want and come to expect after 2/3rds of this whole cinematic "Don't drink the punch at Jerry Garcia's bar mitzvah" ...you hit them with a genre bender....in a way... where the film ages in front of our eyes... from being young and insane and jovial to being old and sort of biting and very mature in its final gotcha. In the real joke at hand. And the whole time at the end parodying a style shift, a humor shift....having that slow push in when she tries to tap the futuristic projector - a camera move indicative of that formalism. Lens flares... everywhere - all over the place. Every light fixture- as if you shot anamorphic but the whole time it keeps us in this non anamorphic aspect ratio... and I'm like this guy is having a real poke at us. I hope everyone is smart enough to get how funny this all is. At every level. And how brilliant.

And it is quite brilliant. Very unexpected. A real joy to watch.