Visioneers

Though armed with an impressive cast that includes Zach Galifianakis, Judy Greer, and James LeGros, Visioneers suffers from a pervasively meaningless vibe that effectively (and instantly) transforms it into a seriously oppressive and downright unwatchable piece of work. The eye-rollingly surreal storyline follows Galifianakis’ George Washington Winsterhammerman, a level three “tunt” at the monolithic Jeffers Corporation, as he becomes increasingly concerned for his safety after people start spontaneously exploding, with the film subsequently detailing George’s ongoing efforts at breaking out of his corporate rut and wooing a fetching former coworker (Mia Maestro’s Charisma). It’s not surprisingly to note that Visioneers effectively alienates the viewer right from the get-go, as director Jared Drake offers up an aggressively off-the-wall landscape that’s exacerbated by the aimless, frustratingly vague bent of Brandon Drake’s screenplay. The Drakes have infused the proceedings with a heavy-handed sensibility that results in an atmosphere of preachiness that’s nothing short of intolerable, with the siblings’ ongoing attempts at satirizing various corporate elements falling woefully flat and ensuring that the movie boasts the feel of a two-minute short that’s been ungainly expanded to feature length. It accordingly goes without saying that the vibe of jaw-dropping incompetence extends even to the actors, with talented folks like Galifianakis and Greer left floundering in their unconscionably underwritten roles (ie one would, based on their flat work here, never guess that these performers had ever possessed even an ounce of charisma). The proliferation of hopelessly juvenile bits of comedy (ie characters greet one another by flipping the bird) cements Visioneers‘ place as an epically misguided piece of work, and it’s ultimately difficult to envision any rational viewer finding much of anything within the proceedings worth embracing.

no stars out of ****