Society (1989)

Billy is just a regular 18 year old high school kid; he likes to play basketball, goof around and attempt to hook up with girls.  However, something doesn't quite sit right with him - his family.  There's something off about them, and it's not teenage alienation, it's something else.  They're cold, distant and freakishly polite.  Poor Bill just doesn't feel like 'one of them,' considering he's largely ignored and his sister is adored.  His therapist isn't much help either and gives him reassurances in the form of prescription medication instead of sound advice.  Maybe he's hiding something?  Billy gets the sense something twisted is happening with The Society,a group of upper class residents of Beverley Hills that everyone is associated with.  Soon, weird things start happening and Billy sets out to prove something is wrong, but no one believes him, and who is there to even trust?

Society was the directorial debut by Brian Yuzna, who previously produced the classic Re-Animator.  Yuzna is also arguably the king of body horror movies and is prone to delivering some of the most visually disgusting images ever put to celluloid (also see Faust: Love of the Damned).  Society is an odd movie for sure, but it's also an intriguing one.  It's a satire on societies lower classes being exploited by the rich, however, it doesn't take itself too seriously and has enough cheesiness and goofiness to make us laugh out loud.  Incest is a strong theme in this movie, but it's presented in an OTT, hilarious way.  Sure, the movie has moments that might disturb some viewers, but it's mainly just a very black comedy.  It has an intriguing, perfectly paced mystery throughout, accompanied by a constant feeling that something bad is going to happen.  Movies like this, the viewer has every right to demand a memorable pay off and trust me, you'll never forget the ending to this one.

So, to summarise - most definitely not for everyone but if you like odd movies then check it out.  It's funny, disgusting, intriguing, goofy, original, sinister and mesmerising throughout.  Brian Yuzna, you are a wonderful man.