Quartile rating: 6/10 · 1 rating
Smith, a typical young college student who likes partying and engaging in acts of random sex and debauchery, has been having some interesting dreams revolving around two gorgeous women -- and is shocked when he meets the dream girls in real life. Lorelei looks just like his fantasy brunette, while a mysterious red-haired girl being chased by assassins draws him into an international conspiracy. Or is it all just a drug-induced hallucination?
Gregg Araki's Kaboom is a wildly idiosyncratic blend of campus sex comedy, surrealist nightmare, and apocalyptic sci-fi that feels entirely singular — no other filmmaker could have made it. Novelty is genuinely high; it mashes genres with anarchic glee and a distinctly queer, neon-drenched sensibility. The plot is deliberately absurdist and gleefully silly, holding together just enough to generate momentum through its many tonal shifts, earning a modest above-average score. Cinematography is colorful and stylized in Araki's trademark candy-pop aesthetic, functional and occasionally striking. Acting is uneven — the young cast ranges from charming to stiff, with nobody delivering a truly memorable performance. The ending is divisive and notoriously abrupt, feeling more like a provocation than a satisfying payoff, landing below average as a result.