The year is 2008. Hot Topicstill has its old logo. Foo Fighters, My Chemical Romance, and Breaking Benjaminare at the top of the charts. Eyeliner stocks are at an all-time high. Clearly, alternative sub-cultures such as emo, goth, and punk are more mainstream than ever. In a genre like horror, where darker aesthetics are made to shine, it makes complete sense that these specific cultures would make their way to the big screen. After all,House of Waxfeatures some MCR songs, and theSawfilms have some post-grunge visuals. But one very strange movie from 2008 feels like the culmination of all things alternative for this time.
Repo! The Genetic Operais a sci-fi-horror-musical, withone of the strangest stories ever conceived. In short, the world has become a strange dystopia where surgery is a trend and everyone is looking to get new, better organs and body parts. The company GeneCo, run by dying medical mogul Rotti Largo (Paul Sorvino), offers cheap, payment-plan-based organ transplants. However, if one fails to pay on time, they will be visited by the sinister Repo Man (Anthony Head), who recollects the parts in gory fashion. The movie centers around an isolated Shiloh (Alexa Vega), the sickly and unknowing daughter of the Repo Man. As Shiloh learns more about her father and the darkness of the world she has been kept from, and Largo decides which of his creepy children to leave the company to, the film becomes a complicated, violent drama featuring a host of odd characters.Aside from the strange plot and story,Repo! The Genetic Operais amasterful blend of alternative cultures, highlighted by emo and steampunk-inspired costumes, a theatrical, goth-rock soundtrack, and surprisingly anarchic sensibilities.
The Costuming and Characters of ‘Repo!’
One of the things that makesRepo!so incredibly unique is its overly eccentric costuming. Characters are clad in distressed black dresses, fishnets, clown makeup, and a variety of alternative accessories. Essentially, if the world ended and Hot Topic replaced Amazon, the fashion of the world might end up looking likeRepo’s.Those details are then not only combined with the dystopian,rugged feel of the wardrobe, but also the creeping horror of the movie. The film does not just show off these costumes to look cool, but also define each character.
Each of the Largo children has a very distinct look and feel to their physical appearance and wardrobe. Luigi Largo (Bill Moseley, ofThe Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2anda bunch of Rob Zombie movies) is meant to feel like a bit of a mob boss. He is unhinged, violent, covered in scars, and dressed like slasher version of Ralphie fromThe Sopranos, always covered in blood to match his attitude. His Brother is Pavi Largo (Nivek Ogre), a more cool and collected character with a flair for the dramatic. In a distortion of the circus and horror visuals, he looks as if he has mime face paint, when in actuality he is wearing other people’s faces. He acts similar to a mime, though, displaying a clear inspiration for his wardrobe that brilliantly matches his theatrical personality. Finally,Paris Hiltonplays their sister, Amber Sweet. She switches between a lot of different outfits and hairstyles, jumping between micro-aesthetics such as clown-core, psychobilly, and even corporate goth. She is addicted to surgery and constantly switching out her body parts, which helps explain her rotation in costuming.
Besides the Largo children, there is the protagonist Shiloh, who wears classically gothic dresses to reflect her isolation from the over-the-top nature of the world. There is also Graverobber (Terrence Zdunich), the drug dealer. He is seen in a thrown-together, ragged outfit and bone-white makeup to reflect his eerie occupation. Costumes are not just meant to look very cool, even though they very much do, but also to clearly reflect everyone’s role and personality in this society.
The Music and Punk Nature of ‘Repo!’
Witha movie that feels like the culmination of emo and goth sensibilities, it would need an amazing soundtrack.Repo!does not disappoint in the slightest. The movie’s title says it all — after all, it is in fact an opera. There are almost no spoken words, with every piece of dialogue sung in operatic fashion. The music is meant to make the audience feel like they are at a goth club, and it works. Industrial beats are hitting every second, and the intensity and stress of said sound makes the horror more intense. Of course, since goth rock and industrial rock go hand in hand, the music really does reflect the movie’s social comments on heavy industrialization. The world is presented as being, essentially, one large factory. In addition, a lot of the songs have a very sideshow-type feel to them, going along with the stylistic visuals of an old-school circus. Again,clown-core, anyone?
Although the entire film is a musical, there are a couple of stand-out songs to note. The one song that people who don’t know the film might still recognize is “Zydrate Anatomy.” It’s an industrial, gothic ballad where the Graverobber explains how to use Zydrate, a painkiller used by those addicted to surgery. It is supremely catchy, and the scene it is featured in is very well-choreographed. Essentially, The Graverobber explains the drug’s uses in song while surrounded by alternative dancers in various costumes and makeup. One other song worth noting is “Infected.” This is Shiloh’s introductory ballad, where she sings about longing for escape from her inherited disease and her anger at her dead mom for her cursed genetics. It’s a great rock ballad and feels almost like a lostEvanescencesong. Be warned: The one thing people should prepare for when watchingRepo!is the cheesiness of the lyrics. The songs are incredibly fun, but the lyrics are ridiculously over-the-top. Still, they work so well in the context of the film that people should barely notice.
One final detail to note aboutRepo! The Genetic Operaishow it really encapsulates the root of punk and alternative culture. Aesthetically, it is stunning. The costumes are beautiful. The music is fun. However, it does have some things to say when it comes to social commentary. The entire film is a satire of industrialization, capitalism, and the healthcare industry. GeneCo is a vile corporation with no care for its patients. They helped make surgery become a trend so they could capitalize on it and repossess organs to save money. The Repo Man himself is not even evil, but rather just a puppet for the mass corporation, driven to violence by the murder of his wife. Everything in the movie is a result of this corporation, and the mass industrialization of the health-care industry. The film has an anarchic spirit towards the government and mass corporations, which is what is at the root of alternative culture. All alt subcultures stem from punk, and this movie’s morals are incredibly punk.Repo! The Genetic Operais definitely a must-watch for all the oddballs out there.
Repo! The Genetic Opera
In a dystopian future where organ failure is rampant, a corporation offers transplants on a payment plan, employing Repo Men to repossess organs from defaulting clients. Amidst a backdrop of Gothic opera, the story follows a young woman who uncovers family secrets while seeking a cure for her illness.
Repo! The Genetic Operais available to stream on Tubi in the U.S.
