‘Dicks: The Musical’ Movie Review: A Bonkers Musical That Has To Be Seen To Be Believed
Photo from A24
From Jeremy Kibler
Dicks: The Musical is now a cinematic experience that exists in the world; more than a movie, it’s a state of mind. Completely on its own raunchy, bonkers wavelength, A24’s first low-budget musical is something else and unlike anything else. Based on Aaron Jackson and Josh Sharp’s two-person off-Broadway musical “Fucking Identical Twins” and written by Jackson and Sharp themselves, this is a fever dream of choices so weird, filthy, and out-there. Oh, and it’s directed by Larry Charles (most notable for Borat and Brüno), so you know there’s no top that’s too over-the-top.
Jackson and Sharp star as Trevor Tittle and Craig Brock, the titular dicks who don’t learn until adulthood that they’re identical twins (“fucking identical twins!”) separated at birth. They’re both narcissistic alphas who have also been working as competitors at the same sales company, and they’ve been living right next door to each other all along in 69A and 69B. Trevor is close with their kooky, lisping mother, Evelyn (Megan Mullally), whose vagina has fallen off (naturally), and Craig with their father, Harris (Nathan Lane), who’s “as queer as a three-dollar bill.” Both parents are lonely, so their dick-ish sons hatch a plan: get Mom and Dad back together, The Parent Trap-style. The only difference is that Susan and Sharon (Hayley Mills) or Annie and Hallie (Lindsay Lohan) never had to do the things that Trevor and Craig do.
Is Dicks: The Musical a great musical? Well, it depends on your definition. It takes maybe five minutes to know whether or not you’re on board, and what the movie lacks in polish makes up for in sheer go-for-broke chutzpah. Director Larry Charles wrangles his cast as best as he can and somehow keeps up the energy for an in-and-out 86 minutes. No one is phoning it in here but fully committed to the bit, and the bit is as unapologetically ridiculous and tasteless as it sounds — and then maybe even more so. There’s even the introduction of The Sewer Boys, deranged mutant puppet creations who remain in a cage and get fed ham by their human daddy, but just don’t ask.
Relative unknowns Jackson and Sharp, both openly gay performers, are playing the worst of the worst heterosexual men who brag about their penis sizes and how many chicks they get with. That’s the joke, as well as them being identical twins who look nothing alike and trick their parents with wigs when trading places. These guys lean into the joke with a self-aware earnestness with a goofy spirit not unlike Trey Parker and Matt Stone in their own low-budget musical Cannibal! The Musical. But it’s Mullally and Lane who are really, really going for it as the parents. It’s just a treat to watch them showcase their bread and butter with material this blue (and that’s putting it lightly).
Is Dicks: The Musical an outrageous laugh riot with big, brass balls? Or, is it annoying and shocking for the sake of being shocking? It’s both, and it’s definitely bound to find a cult following (or some will just love it right out of the gate). Sporadically clever lyrics beside, not all of the songs work as much more than exposition. A fierce Megan Thee Stallion gets the most show-stopping number, “Out Alpha the Alpha,” slaying the rap lyrics and boob-pushing choreography as ball-busting boss Gloria Master. The final number “All Love Is Love,” though, has to be heard and seen to be believed.
If you are put off by characters saying “pussy” and an unforgettably off-color number involving our narrator, a super-gay God (Bowen Yang), at the climax, then Dicks: The Musical probably isn’t for you. I, for one, had a giant, gay, stupid grin on my face the whole way through, even in spite of myself and of the opinion that it’s not as sweet as it thinks it’s being. Either way, this is definitely going to end up somewhere on John Waters’ personal Top Ten list for 2023.
Rating: 3.5/5
Dicks: The Musical expands into theaters on October 20, 2023.
