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Repo! The Genetic Opera

Play trailer Poster for Repo! The Genetic Opera R 2008 1h 38m Horror Musical Play Trailer Watchlist
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37% Tomatometer 60 Reviews 73% Popcornmeter 25,000+ Ratings
In the mid-21st century, an epidemic of organ failures leads to the rise of GeneCo., a company providing transplants at a great price. Those who miss their payments become targets of GeneCo. mercenaries, who repossess the organs. In a world of drug addiction and legalized murder, a sheltered youth (Alexa Vega) seeks a cure for her rare disease as well as information about her family's mysterious history. Her questions are answered at "The Genetic Opera."
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Repo! The Genetic Opera

Repo! The Genetic Opera

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Critics Consensus

Bombastic and intentionally gross, Repo! The Genetic Opera has a unique style but lacks the wit and substance to be involving.

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Critics Reviews

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Anton Bitel Little White Lies Falling somewhere between Rocky Horror, Moulin Rouge! and Eyes Without A Face (with songs!), Repo! The Genetic Opera is the filmic equivalent of what architects call a 'folly'. Mar 6, 2009 Full Review Susan Walker Toronto Star As it has evolved from a 10-minute cabaret piece, through a short film Bousman made in Toronto, to the big screen, Repo! The Genetic Opera has gained in both guts and gusto. Rated: 2.5/4 Nov 21, 2008 Full Review Stephen Cole Globe and Mail David Cronenberg might have made a great movie with the plot to Repo! The Genetic Opera. Rated: 1/4 Nov 21, 2008 Full Review Brian Eggert Deep Focus Review True cult films should be transgressive, edgy, and rebellious. This one feels engineered and intentional, not genuinely obscure but trying to achieve a commercially viable obscurity that instead feels artificial. Rated: 0.5/4 Mar 7, 2024 Full Review Nikki Baughan Roll Credits Essentially, it's a brave, bold and brash piece of film-making that deserves to find a cult home on DVD. Rated: 3/5 Nov 4, 2019 Full Review Princess Weekes The Mary Sue What I love most about Repo! is how fun the music is. While not everyone is a trained singer, they all bring an electric energy to the performances. Oct 24, 2018 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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TheMovieSearch R Repo! The Genetic Opera is a film that divides audiences right down the middle, but for me, it falls flat on almost every level. While it’s earned a cult following over the years, the movie feels like an overzealous attempt to merge horror, sci-fi, and rock opera into something groundbreaking. Instead, it comes across as an incoherent and self-indulgent mess that mistakes chaos for creativity. From the very beginning, the film feels like it’s trying far too hard to emulate the energy and shock value of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, yet without any of the wit, charm, or balance that made that classic work. Repo takes itself too seriously for something so absurdly stylized, which results in an experience that’s more exhausting than entertaining. The world-building—set in a dystopian future where organ repossession is a brutal business—could have been fascinating, but the execution is muddled, shallow, and visually cluttered. The music, meant to be the backbone of the film, is its biggest downfall. Rather than delivering memorable or emotionally charged songs, the soundtrack is filled with disjointed, tuneless performances that lack rhythm and cohesion. The operatic style could have worked if the melodies were strong or if the lyrics offered real narrative depth, but instead, they feel repetitive and forced. It’s almost as if the filmmakers were so focused on being edgy that they forgot to make the songs enjoyable. Performance-wise, the cast seems lost in the chaos. While actors like Anthony Head and Alexa Vega commit wholeheartedly to their roles, their talents are buried under poor direction, excessive styling, and dialogue that borders on parody. Paris Hilton’s presence, often brought up as a talking point, only adds to the feeling that the movie was designed for shock value rather than storytelling. Every performance feels disconnected, as if each actor was in a different movie entirely. Visually, the film has ambition—there’s no denying that. The set design and costumes are striking at times, giving off a gothic, cyberpunk aesthetic that could have worked with a tighter story. But instead of being immersive, it becomes a distraction. The constant barrage of lighting effects, comic-book transitions, and exaggerated gore overwhelms rather than enhances the narrative. It’s a sensory overload that doesn’t lead to any emotional payoff. In the end, Repo! The Genetic Opera tries to be a cult masterpiece but ends up feeling like a student project with too much ambition and not enough structure. It’s messy, grating, and overlong, offering little to those who crave genuine horror, musical brilliance, or compelling storytelling. While it might have found a niche audience that enjoys its chaotic aesthetic, it’s not a film that sticks with you for the right reasons. Instead of a daring experiment, it feels like a cautionary tale of style overshadowing substance. Rated 1 out of 5 stars 10/26/25 Full Review John W It's rarely been so difficult to rate a film. I think it's probably quite good for what it wants to be. If it's something for everyone remains to be seen. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 10/03/25 Full Review Devin H An absolute masterpiece of gothic dystopia with a great catchy and original soundtrack! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 09/01/25 Full Review Devin A Absolutely awesome. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/08/25 Full Review Alexis C It's bad but in the best way :D and my bf likes the setting, so cute geek approved! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 07/22/25 Full Review Cody C BEST MOVIE EVER LOVE IT #1 fav movie of all time. i listen to the ost every night. its perfect and incredible Rated 5 out of 5 stars 06/28/25 Full Review Read all reviews
Repo! The Genetic Opera

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Movie Info

Synopsis In the mid-21st century, an epidemic of organ failures leads to the rise of GeneCo., a company providing transplants at a great price. Those who miss their payments become targets of GeneCo. mercenaries, who repossess the organs. In a world of drug addiction and legalized murder, a sheltered youth (Alexa Vega) seeks a cure for her rare disease as well as information about her family's mysterious history. Her questions are answered at "The Genetic Opera."
Director
Darren Bousman
Producer
Mark Burg, Daniel Jason Heffner, Carl Mazzocone, Oren Koules
Screenwriter
Darren Smith, Terrance Zdunich
Distributor
Lionsgate Films
Production Co
Twisted Pictures
Rating
R (Language|Gore|Drug Content|Sexual Content|Strong Bloody Violence)
Genre
Horror, Musical
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Nov 7, 2008, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Sep 12, 2016
Runtime
1h 38m
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