Review: ARCHENEMY Starring Joe Manganiello Tells a Unique Story, But Leaves Viewers With Questions
I got the chance to watch the film Archenemy last week ahead of its release today, and I was left feeling conflicted. The movie stars Joe Manganiello (Magic Mike, True Blood), Skylan Brooks (The Darkest Minds, Southpaw), Zolee Griggs (Wu-Tang: An American Saga, Public Disturbance), Amy Seimetz (Upstream Color, The Girlfriend Experience), Glenn Howerton (It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, A.P. Bio), and Paul Scheer (The League, Veep, Long Shot).
The story follows Max Fist, played by Manganiello, who claims to be a hero from another dimension who fell through time and space to Earth, where his powers have no source. No one believes him, and he lives as a homeless man until a local teen named Hamster sees him in an alley punching a brick wall, seemingly unfazed. Hamster is looking to make a name for himself in journalism and sees Max as a great story regardless of the truthfulness of his story. When they witness Hamster’s sister in trouble after she gets in too deep with a drug dealer, the story escalates, and the trio take to the street to save themselves and learn the truth about Max.
The film’s story had great bones, and I was intrigued from the beginning. The acting was good, and I felt connected to Manganiello’s Max, Brooks’ Hamster, and Griggs’ Indigo. Throughout the film, there were animated scenes that filled in the story. I saw these scenes as less helpful, and more distracting, as I wasn’t sure if they were just helping to tell Max’s story, or if they were definitive flashbacks. Howerton’s villain, The Manager, was a little cartoony, but it actually really worked in the story. The whole movie makes you wonder if you’re watching the real world or an alternate universe, and this character toes the line and is definitely ominous enough to make you hate him either way.
In the end of the film, I was left with more questions about Max’s origin and future than when the film began, but the movie did leave me feeling pretty good. I wish there had been a bit more to it to help me along with the story, but I felt like it was a great story and a great start. I’d love to see an origin story for Max, as well as a sequel, even if these were just shorts that filled out the universe that was introduced by writer and director Adam Egypt Mortimer.
I hope you guys can check out the movie for yourselves, and let us know what you think. Archenemy is in Theaters, On Digital, and On Demand today, December 11, 2020.
