Controversial from the moment of its release, Rolf de Heer’s Bad Boy Bubby was a festival hit and while it’s certainly not a mainstream title, still holds much cult appeal.
Bubby (Nicholas Hope) has been brought up in a squalid apartment by his mother (Claire Benito), who has convinced him that if he went outside into the world, he would be poisoned by the air – she even dons a gasmask to ‘prove’ this point when she leaves. His mother abuses the middle-aged man-child Bubby in other ways, too; threats of violence, the wrath of Jesus, and incest are among the many ways his mind has been warped since birth. When his father (Ralph Cotterill) returns suddenly, his world is turned upside down – and expanded (literally, as the space in the dingy room increases) – until he snaps and kills them both with Clingfilm. Left to his own devices, he not only discovers the world not to be as toxic as he was taught, but also that there are pleasurable things, too.
Equally satirical and shocking, Bad Boy Bubby displays the main character’s child-like wonder alongside his ways of learning (he mimics those around him). It’s much more than a fish out of water story, though. His insular upbringing also gives rise to some alarming scenes of both animal and sexual abuse, the latter apparent as he his fixated with large breasts (like his mother’s) and is constantly touching women inappropriately. Later on, he is integrated into a community of severely handicapped adults when their carers find out that he can understand what they are trying to say. There are obvious parallels to films as diverse as Eraserhead (particularly during the apartment scenes), Being There, and Forest Gump (Bubby becomes a star due to his quirks).
No matter how disturbing some scenes are, it’s hard not to get swept along with Bubby’s adventures (and plights!). The soundtrack immerses the audience into his world (literally if you watch it with the binaural audio track using headphones) and Umbrella’s Blu-ray provides all the supplementary features you’d need to make sense of everything. From festival Q&A sessions to an interview with the director, there’s plenty to get through after you’ve enjoyed the film itself. If you haven’t experienced it before, we can promise you that you won’t know what hit you!
