My quick rating – 6.2/10. Tapawingo drops us into a small-town ecosystem full of lovable weirdos, ’80s nostalgia, and enough dry humor to dehydrate a cactus. Jon Heder plays Nate Skoog, an oddball drifting through life with the comedic energy only Heder seems capable of harnessing. That strangely hypnotic low-voltage awkwardness he perfected in Napoleon Dynamite. His only real friend is Will (Jay Pichardo), a partner-in-crime type who seems equal parts loyal sidekick and reluctant witness to Nate’s orbit. Always a win to see John Ratzenberger pop up, and pairing him with Amanda Bearse as Nate’s parents just solidifies the film’s dedication to its retro DNA. It’s not subtle. And I don’t think it’s meant to be.
The story really kicks off when Nate becomes an accidental hero, stepping in to save Oswalt (Sawyer Williams), a misfit teenager being targeted by the Tarwater family, the local dynasty of bullies. In doing so, Nate also becomes the kids’ new best buddy, a responsibility he never asked for but takes on with a sincerity that sneaks up on you. Director Dylan K. Narang clearly set the dial to “1980s homage,” and he never unplugs it. Between the soundtrack (you’ll get your Quiet Riot fix and then some) and a small-town vibe dripping with retro personality, the film feels like it was pulled from a forgotten video store rental shelf.
Gina Gershon shows up as Dot, dressed like she teleported straight from an ’80s glam-rock tour, while Kim Matula’s Gretchen enters the movie to the tune of Quiet Riot’s “Bang Your Head”, a meet-cute that basically hammers the nostalgia theme into your skull. The romance between Nate and Gretchen is sweet, offbeat, and refreshingly low-stakes, until Nate discovers her last name: Tarwater. Yes, that Tarwater family. Suddenly, the budding connection gets tangled in a family feud that’s as silly as it is strangely endearing.
When the Tarwater brothers, led by Billy Zane’s wonderfully odd Stoney Tarwater, set their sights on Oswalt, Nate assembles a ragtag protection squad consisting of Will and the local capoeira fighting twins Glenn and Ben (George and Paul Psarras). If you’re expecting polished fight choreography or big action sequences, abandon those hopes now. The fights here look like someone tried to stage a brawl using instructions from a malfunctioning VHS fitness tape, and, keep reading, they did.
For a new film, Tapawingo has a warm, dusty, VHS-aged feel that works in its favor. Beneath the stupid-but-satisfying comedy and deadpan delivery lies an earnest message about loyalty, belonging, and figuring out who you are when you don’t quite fit anywhere. Just resist the urge to constantly compare it to Napoleon Dynamite. Yes, the DNA is similar, but this movie wants to be its own oddball creation.
Oh—and don’t skip the credits. Mike’s pre-YouTube martial arts training video is a tiny comedic gem worth sticking around for. Thank you, Staci, for sending this one over.
