# wtf / Pac-Man / the end of the world / curiosity / online only
RELAXER
comedy, fantasy / USA / 2018 / 1 h 31 min
He will play a game till the end of the world.
Doom and gloom are on the way. The Y2K apocalypse can’t be stopped. Abbie’s older brother issues him the ultimate challenge before it goes down: beat the infamous level 256 in Pac-Man and no getting up from the couch until he does so. Abbie’s survival story begins here; inside a rotting living room with no food or water, and a revolving door of numb-nut friends and acquaintances. It’s the THE EXTERMINATING ANGEL by way of SLACKER.
The whole action of „Relaxer” takes place on a sofa. This seemingly simple story, transforms into something much more intriguing and immersive than you might suspect.
Director admits „Every year since I graduated college, I’ve vowed to take the summer off and just play video games on the couch. Just a bummer that it still hasn’t happened”. This movie is a dark realisation of his personal fantasy. Most of Joel’s Potrykus movies are histories which turned into nightmares.
Abbie (Joshua Burge) is the kid in class that never spoke up, and he wasn’t charismatic enough for anyone to care why he was so quiet. He has no friends and finally becomes transparent without the charisma, a trait needed to put himself out there. Those are the people that conceal the strangest stories. „Relaxer” could be one of them.
director: Joel Potrykus screenwriter: Joel Potrykus cast: Joshua Burge, David Dastmalchian, Andre Hyland cinematography: Adam Minnick editing: Joel Potrykus music: Neon Indian language: English subtitles: Polish
WORLD PREMIERE: South by Southwest Film Festival 2018
