If I had not looked at the synopses to a majority of films on this year’s Tribeca Film Festival slate, there would have been only one film I would have seen, Boris Rodriguez’s Eddie-The Sleepwalking Cannibal. Titles are amazing marketing tools but when they are actually honest and up front it makes everything even better.
Eddie-The Sleepwalking Cannibal is about a Danish superstar artist named Lars Olafssen (Thure Lindhardt) who is currently experiencing artist’s block because nothing inspires him anymore. Deciding that he needs a change of scenery, he takes a job teaching at a small arts school in the middle of nowhere, Canada. A day after his arrival, the Principal/Dean and a young teacher named Lesley (Georgina Reilly) ask Lars to look after Eddie (Dylan Smith), a large and lonely mute whom the townsfolk consider a harmless loon. Eddie moves in with Lars and the two become good friends. One night, Lars discovers that Eddie sleepwalks and that, when he does, he likes to eat rabbits. Upon seeing the dead rabbit, Lars becomes inspired to paint again and realizes that Eddie’s nocturnal and carnivorous habit is the only thing that will keep his creative juices flowing. From there, the movie takes us on a hilariously bloody adventure while still keeping the story focused on friendship, art and how far people are willing to go for either.
Congratulations to Boris Rodriguez, for he has contributed another sidesplitting horror comedy to the indie world that deserves a wide release. Rodriguez has found a way to keep comedy fresh through his brilliant satire of the arts and by visualizing what happens when two random oddball cultures collide (Canadian and Danish folk) which, to an American, are delightfully silly. Also, hats off to him for casting Dylan and Thure as the leads, they both did excellent jobs and played off each other rather well.
The chemistry between the lead performers is what drives the film but a lot of credit has to be given to the supporting cast and some of the small touches Rodriguez included to earn a few more laughs. Paul Braunstein, who plays Constable Verner, Stephen McHattie, who plays Ronny, Lars’ art dealer, and Peter Michael Dillon, who plays Lars’ artistic neighbor, were all stand outs and practically stole every scene they were in. They we were each either loud, obnoxious, 
witty, or candidly stupid which created some of the most memorable moments in the film. Even Georgina Reilly’s slightly overzealous performance was comical despite the fact that she was Lars’ love interest and supposed to be the most grounded character.
While a unique film, you can’t help but find moments in which you could easily compare it to others. For example, the movie opens up with a scene straight out of Road Trip in which Lars has to singlehandedly put down a deer (not a cow) that he hit with his car, except it doesn’t want to die. Also, Eddie’s character is what you’d expect John C. Reilly’s sleepwalking character from Step Brothers to be if that film was a horror comedy. Lastly, the movie might remind you of Tucker & Dale vs. Evil in that the themes of friendship and passion for something, be it art or a person, are prevalent throughout the entire picture. I’m sure there are other instances I’m forgetting but it’s this blend of wild and crazy ideas with honest themes and morals built in that make Eddie such a fantastic piece of satirical cinema.
Of the plethora of TFF films I’ve seen thus far, Eddie-The Sleepwalking Cannibal is by far my favorite and the must-see of the festival. The film is quirky, offbeat, dark and downright hilarious. The title alone will get your attention and the dynamic between Eddie and Lars is enough to make the film enjoyable, but it’s the supporting cast and small comedic touches that really round the film out and make the 83 minute feature anything but boring.
Rating: Full-on cannibalistic mayhem with an amusingly artsy twist (8.5/10)
Yo can catch the Eddie during the festival on the following dates:
Friday April 20th at 8:30 pm at the Clearview Cinemas Chelsea 4
Saturday April 21st at 11:30 pm at the AMC Loews Village 7 – 3
Saturday April 28th at 11:59 pm at the AMC Loews Village 7 -1
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