The Film BUZZARD is a Black Comedy that Sticks to Your Gizzards

BUZZARD defies any specific genre.  It is a black comedy, with a Freddy Kreuger horror homage and stirred with rage & repulsion.  Martin (Joshua Burge) is an office temp who labors only temporarily. Martin's line of work is as a grifter, slacker, & cruel con-man.  Written & directed with audacious brilliance by Joel Potrykus who won Best New Dir.  (APE '12) at the Locarno Film Festival.  Martin's only "office friend" is Derrick played with convincing pathetic geekdom & annoyance by Potrykus.  Martin's scams at first seem a hoot; office supplies returned for cash, redeeming endless coupons & perks.  Martin's charm soon turns disarming.  BUZZARD takes a darker turn.  After cashing fraudulent checks, Martin hides out in Derrick's basement until he flees by bus to Detroit to evade the authorities.  Both his audacity & cunning keep you attuned awaiting his retribution.  At the same time, you become repulsed by everything he does.  Watching BUZZARD makes you complicit & trapped in a nightmare.  The acting & scenarios are all convincing giving the film a feeling of reality.  The camera work is gripping.  Martin's final running scenes of euphoria make you feel you've escaped a major calamity.  BUZZARD might be an acquired taste as Potrykus is venturing in unchartered territory with a honed eye.  Warning, once entered, you're transfixed.