A while ago, I went looking for a list of disturbing movies to watch - just for fun, you know? - and I came across this movie, described as "vile," "filthy" and other words like that. With little to no knowledge on what the film was about, I dove in headfirst and watched the entire thing. And boy was it everything people said it was.
It's a camp cult classic, it's hilarious, and it's so quotable. An arthouse must-watch.
Rated 4.5/5 Stars •
Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars
12/20/24
Full Review
Judith R
I honestly have no words for this film. It was one of the most insane and dirty films I have ever seen. When I read the description I was confused on how you battle for the title for Most Filthiest and was surprised what it turned out to become. In order to watch this film you have to be very strong and open minded. There are so many scenes in this movie that can be very controversial and disturbing to others. There were so many scenes that made it very hard to watch and just made you want to look away. I was surprised to see that the person who made this film also made Hairspray. Two very different films! After reading John Waters' interview I was surprised to see that some of the things shown in the scene were actually done. I would name this film one of the most bizarre films I have ever seen. You definitely have to be a very open person to watch it. If this film had come out today I don't think it would have made it very far. This film is one of those films that you watch one time for the experience and that's it. I can't see this as someone's favorite movie that they watch multiple times. I would and wouldn’t recommend this film only because it was just very hard to watch but it would also be an interesting thing to say that you were able to watch this movie entirely.
Rated 2/5 Stars •
Rated 2 out of 5 stars
12/20/24
Full Review
Kelly A
John Waters' Pink Flamingos isn't just notorious for nothing. It's proud to be grossly distasteful and actually shocking. I took it all in, understanding its 'glorious' reputation, but honestly? I wasn’t really into it. It was just too disgusting and obnoxiously invasive that I really felt like wondering what all this was supposed to be.
Believe it or not, Divine the larger than life actor portrays the unforgettable performance of 'filthiest person alive,' and this indeed has some level of decimation regarding the author's intent to violate every possible rules of good taste, but it didn't seem bold or revolutionary, but rather trying too hard to shock. After a while, it simply became exhausting.
Sure, I appreciate why the movie gets cult following. It is a middle finger to traditional storytelling and social norms; and is extremely influential upon underground cinema. Yet, for me, the never-ending disgusting gags with tiring shock value bury any deeper message it might have had. More like an edgy endurance test rather than a real film experience.
I appreciate the importance of Pink Flamingos pushing limits, making room for queer and countercultural voices, but as a film it doesn't touch me. Know its place in cinema history, but that is an entirely different matter. Proceed with caution, and maybe keep a strong stomach ready.
Rated 2.5/5 Stars •
Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars
12/20/24
Full Review
Zac M
Pink flamingos released in 1972; a crime drama movie. within the first five minutes we get introduced to a few characters being a film released in the 70s, the social standards are so accepting of drag, queens and other queer identities so seeing that released in that time was nice to see they made a bold move. We learned to see that the main character divine is very famous, and how different people view her I enjoy seeing different peoples perspectives on someone well known. We see different relationships as some of them are very aggressive and physically abusive versus some of them being very professional with lots of smiles, a very dynamic script and dialogue. A lot of the actors delivery and scenes are filled with passion and emotion. I feel like the script is a little intense for some audiences and age groups, as there is vulgar scenes of nudity, aggressive, sexual intercourse, and someone throwing up after watching another doing a sexual act. The colored hair of the couple was very bold and a strong statement choice in that time to stand out and maybe even be involved in the process of people dying their hair. As the film goes on, there is more public visuals of the characters doing absurd things showing off to the crowd as the couple reports them showing that some people don’t agree with the choices of others because they don’t like to see it. Towards the end, we see the couple that reported them be caught by the family of divine.
Rated 1.5/5 Stars •
Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars
12/20/24
Full Review
Avery C
Pink Flamingos is one of the most bizarre and disturbing movies I’ve ever seen. It’s a cult classic, infamous for its unapologetic absurdity and sheer filth, but it’s definitely not for everyone. Honestly, I wouldn’t recommend it to most people unless they have an incredibly strong stomach and a dark sense of humor. The film is packed with freaky themes like foot fetishes, cannibalism, and, yes, even worse things I’d rather not relive. Watching it feels like a fever dream, the kind that leaves you both horrified and weirdly amused. The plot revolves around Divine, a \]drag queen fighting to keep her title as the “filthiest person alive.” That premise alone sets the tone for the movie with everything turned up to the most extreme and grotesque levels. Each scene seems to outdo the last in how shocking or disturbing it can be. At times, I genuinely felt physically ill and had to wonder how the actors made it through some of the more intense scenes. The movie’s humor is just as dark as its content, and I’ll admit I laughed more than I expected. It’s the kind of humor that makes you feel guilty, but you can’t help it. The writing is surprisingly sharp, and the character designs are so distinct that they feel like something out of a surreal nightmare. In the end, I wouldn’t say I liked Pink Flamingos. It’s more accurate to say I endured it. It’s disgusting, outrageous, and beyond anything I ever expected to see on film.
Rated 1.5/5 Stars •
Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars
12/19/24
Full Review
Sophia Jean M
This film was such a weird experience. In my opinion, I don’t recommend this film to a normal person because there are a lot of freaky themes like foot kinks, cannibalism, eating feces, etc. I think a normal person would throw up a lot while watching this film. However, I would recommend it to somebody that I hate, anybody looking to watch weird films on purpose, or films with queer people/drag queens. All the things I would not expect to be on film are the ones featured in this film. Some good things I do have to say are the fashion and the writing, surprisingly. It kind of felt like I was watching a cartoon show with how unserious this was. The designs for each character seemed like something out of a book too. This film was seriously traumatizing. I wish I could wipe this film out of my memory. I think the “plot” of the film was to prove that Divine was the filthiest person alive and the movie did just that. In the beginning, I liked Connie’s acting but I noticed that it changed throughout the film. It might have been due to the conditions of the environment because it looked like it went from fall to winter. The lines seemed a little off too, like it seems like the characters are telling the audience what's happening instead of showing it, like they’re not speaking those lines as the character’s themselves and it felt very unnatural. I hope the chicken used in that one… scene… wasn’t a real chicken and the actors were fine. I was so concerned for the actors throughout the whole film. I can see how this film is considered a “cult classic,” but this film is just not it for me.
Rated 2/5 Stars •
Rated 2 out of 5 stars
12/11/24
Full Review
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