From Chris Snellgrove
| Published
Horror isn’t a genre you typically associate with music, although there are some killer musicals out there, including old classics like The Rocky Horror Picture Show and newer features like Anna and the Apocalypse. However, the only problem with horror musicals is that they focus more on biting the Broadway style than bringing bloodshed. If you are like me and have been looking for this perfect Combination of melodies and terror, you’re in luck: Repo! The genetic opera is now streaming for free on Tubi.
The plot of Repo! The genetic opera
Based on the musical of the same name, Repo! The genetic opera is set in a bleak future where most of humanity has been wiped out due to widespread organ failure. The ruthless company GeneCo transplants organs into those with the money, which has managed to save lives while creating a culture of hedonistic body modification. But if someone misses a payment, those organs can be repossessed, and when GeneCo’s founder receives a fatal diagnosis, he’s put on a collision course with his repo man that will change everything.
The cast of Repo! The genetic opera is small but full of familiar faces, including surprise appearances from Paris Hilton and even a cameo from Joan Jett. Our main protagonist is played by Spy children Veteran Alexa Vegas and horror icon Bill Moseley memorably play one of the GeneCo Foundation’s failsons. The titular repo is now being played Buffy the Vampire Slayer Legend Anthony Stewart Head, and the dying CEO is played by Paul Sorvino, who hasn’t been this scene-stealing since Baz Luhrmann’s film Romeo+Juliet.
A cult failure
Despite this stacked cast, Repo! The genetic opera was a box office bomb, largely thanks to its very limited theatrical release. On a budget of $8.5 million, the film only earned $188,126 (no, that’s not a typo). Luckily, the film found new life on DVD and Blu-Ray and has since gained a huge cult following that many have compared The Rocky Horror picture showanother bizarre horror musical that grew in popularity over time.
Critics certainly didn’t know what to make of it Repo! The genetic opera: On Rotten tomatoesthe film only has a critical rating of 37 percent. In general, critics grudgingly praised the film for its style but ridiculed it for its crude and vacuous narrative. What’s notable, however, is that the film achieved a 73 percent rating on Popcorn Meter, showing how much more it resonated with general audiences than with critics (who have historically been very harsh on horror films).
Now it’s time to answer the question you’ve probably been screaming at your screen: Why? Devil I recommend you watch Repo! The genetic operaa film that failed to gross even $200,000 at the box office and is universally reviled by critics? For one thing, the music is surprisingly catchy. That might not sound like much, but considering how much the lyrics to “Things You See In A Graveyard” live rent-free in my head, I can’t help but recommend this film to other horror fans looking for new ears are candy.
Furthermore, while Repo! The genetic opera has some terrible performances (Paris Hilton rightly won a Golden Raspberry for Worst Supporting Actress), but also some unforgettably wonderful performances. Paul Sorvino manages to deliver great lines and sing some killer melodies while chewing whatever scenery he can find, and I’ve truly never found this talented actor so captivating. As for Anthony Stewart Head, so be it incredible worthwhile as Buffy Fan to see him abandon his staid role as a librarian to go against type as some kind of assassin with a heart of gold.
Finally, as a horror fan, I have to make a recommendation Repo! The genetic opera for trying something different. This is a genre full of tired tropes and tired ideas… how often am I supposed to care about teenagers being hunted in the woods or killer sharks terrorizing a small town? Repo! requires big twists that don’t always add up, but it stands out for being completely unique… the kind of ambitious horror-freakshow splatterfest that we may never see again if another director tries to pull it off.
REPO! THE GENETIC OPERA Evaluation result
You will find Repo! The genetic opera As captivating as I am, or do you want the repo man to come and take your eyes off after watching? You won’t know until you stream it for free on Tubi. However, after realizing that you will never see anything so strange again, you may be left with an emptiness that not even GeneCo can properly fill.
