Egghead Republic

Directed by Pella Kågerman and Hugo Lilja, Egghead Republic follows a group of gonzo journalists, including Tyler Labine’s Dino Davis and Ella Rae Rappaport’s Sonja Schmidt, as they venture into an irradiated wasteland deep in Kazakhstan. Filmmakers Kågerman and Lilja, armed with their own screenplay, deliver a slow-moving endeavor that remains pitched at a level of distressing mediocrity from start to finish, as the movie, which grows less and less interesting as it unfolds, is perpetually devoid of compelling, engrossing attributes designed to capture and sustain the viewer’s interest – which is a shame, ultimately, given the promising setup and admittedly strong performances. (In terms of the latter, Labine’s eye-opening turn as an imperious newspaper mogul is a rare bright spot within the sluggish proceedings, ultimately.) And while the impossible-to-predict narrative does contain a small handful of surprises and marginally engaging digressions, Egghead Republic builds towards a momentum-free final third rife with tiresome bouts of in-fighting and eye-rolling instances of surreal silliness – which finally confirms the picture’s place as a palpable misfire that feels like it should be so much better.

*1/2 out of ****