Warning: This movie might just bore you to tears. Jimmy and Stiggs is a neon-drenched, heavy metal-infused horror flick that aims to shock with its over-the-top gore and shaky first-person camera work. But here's where it gets controversial: despite its attempts to be outrageous, the film falls flat, leaving viewers not disgusted, but rather, utterly unengaged. The bright orange 'blood' and laughably fake alien creatures make the whole affair feel more like a headache-inducing snooze-fest than a thrilling splatterpunk experience. And this is the part most people miss: you might actually need a pillow—not for the scares, but to catch some Z’s during the tedious stretches.
Filmed over several years in a single grimy apartment, Jimmy and Stiggs is the passion project of Joe Begos, who wears the hats of writer, director, producer, and star. Begos, known for the slightly more tolerable Christmas Bloody Christmas, plays Jimmy, a washed-up horror filmmaker who spends his days drinking and getting high in his black-light-lit hovel, complete with a jellyfish tank that screams 'teenage metalhead aesthetic.' Alongside his lifelong friend Stiggs (Matt Mercer), Jimmy’s career is clearly on the decline, and the fictional trailers of their past films at the beginning of the movie are the only real highlight—it’s all downhill from there.
When aliens invade, Jimmy must rally to fight back, though he’s paranoid they’ve implanted mind-control devices in him. Conveniently, alcohol is the aliens' kryptonite, and Jimmy has plenty of that. Stiggs reluctantly joins the fray but hesitates to prove his humanity by drinking whiskey, given his six months of sobriety. This raises a bold question: Is Begos using this film as a metaphorical jab at AA or rehab? If so, it’s a clumsy and uninspired attempt. The real controversy here isn’t the gore—it’s whether the film’s failure is intentional or just a result of poor execution.
But here’s the real kicker: Is Jimmy and Stiggs so bad it’s good, or just plain bad? Let us know in the comments—we’re genuinely curious to hear your take. Either way, if you decide to watch it, bring painkillers, a good book, and maybe a friend to share the misery. Jimmy and Stiggs hits digital platforms on February 16th, but don’t say we didn’t warn you.
