ZENITHAL
With my mouth agape at the absurdist plot, I guffawed 2 minutes into ZENITHAL, a bizarre love triangle that turns to murder, maniacal mayhem, and one mad surgeon. Director Jean-Baptiste Saurel has a hit on his hands that is unforgettable.
Ti-Kong is an action star who suffered from a freak mutation resulting in a giant penis. Dry cleaner Francis and martial arts teacher Sonia’s relationship has become strained as they agreed to be celibate for a year. Oh, and all three are also former co-stars. Following a humiliating breakup between Sonia and Francis, someone kills Ti-Kong most violently and unusually. He is “dickapitated,” and the tiny brain in the head of his giant penis is stolen. 
Francis believes Sonia has told the police he is responsible, causing him to flee from the authorities. In his desperation, he finds solace in a laundry client who always seems to be wooing Francis away from his station. Turns out this man is no eye-fucking mechanic but a supervillain, woman-hating, mad surgeon named Doctor Sweeper, who wants to upgrade Francis with a massive robotic, brain-implanted penis and blow up the moon to disrupt menstrual cycles. (Still with me?)
Now, Sonia, Francis’ business partner Marcus, and a few ladies from Sonia’s Sexkido class (a method of martial arts that takes advantage of men’s depravity and returns power to women. While meant to be silly, I think it’s brilliant), must find Doctor Sweeper, save Francis, and clear his name.
Did you get all that? That’s only the first 38 minutes. ZENITHAL is like reading a graphic novel while on a mushroom trip but in the best way. The dialogue is a delicious, hypersexual double entendre. The comedy comes not only in the words but perfectly timed slapstick comedy pushed to the nth degree. 
Performances from the entire cast are phenomenal. They land somewhere in between Austin Powers and Zoolander, with incredible one-liners and a 1000% commitment to the gag.
The cinematography is rom-com sharp. The fight choreography is hilarious. The use of “Behind Blue Eyes” is genius. Beyond all the chaos, ZENITHAL is a love story wrapped in incel culture. It’s a wildly funny, sex-positive crowdpleaser.
Watch the ZENITHAL Trailer:
Dark Star Pictures will release ZENITHAL, the upcoming French eccentric comedy from Jean-Baptiste Saurel (Paramount+’s Zorro), which made a splash at Fantastic Fest, on VOD July 1st. The film stars Franc Bruneau, Sonia, Vanessa Guide, Marcus Cyril Guei (Hitman), and Bruno Gouery (Emily in Paris).
Dark Star Pictures is a new-age North American distribution company, focused on bringing unique and targeted content to audiences across the country. We are committed to releasing auteur-driven, original cinema in the theatrical, digital and home video space. Our goal is to create original marketing campaigns directly catered to audiences who will embrace our brand of thought-provoking cinema. Dark Star also services distribution companies and producers in the theatrical, digital, and festival space.
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