‘Vulcanizadora’ (2024)

A quasi-sequel to writer-director-actor Joel Potrykus’ 2015 film ‘Buzzard’, ‘Vulcanizadora’ follows two friends Marty (Joshua Burge) and Derek (Potrykus) as the two trek through the woods on a sort of camping trip. Derek partakes in infantile jovialities, such as bottle rockets, binging on junk food and messing about in the woods. Accompanied by the more quiet and despondent Marty, the two head towards an unnamed goal.

Opening on zoomed-in shots of 16mm footage of a fire, sirens blaring and general mayhem, the film quickly switches to a quieter and more scenic path in the woods. Initially accompanied by an operatic overture, the music shifts to heavy metal as soon as we see Derek and Marty emerge, trekking down the backwoods road, on their way to the wilderness.

Somewhat baffling, the combination of the introductory minutes of the feature only makes sense after having enjoyed the entire film. Quiet and pensive, the movie unfolds slowly to reveal who Marty and Derek are, what their reasons for the trip are and what exactly they intend to do.

With Derek relishing a selection of simple joys, the man runs about the woods not unlike a child. Jumping from one thing to the next, he can be seen shooting off fireworks, drinking Jägermeister from a canteen and raving in the woods. Accompanied by a stench of desperation about him, Derek appears to want to cram as much joy into a single camping trip as possible.

Joined by the much more dour and reserved Marty, the more serious of the two men is dismissive and introverted. Less prepared for the trip and not appearing to have embarked on the journey for pleasure, Marty drudges along only to remind the pair that they’re here for a specific reason.

Developing an almost untenable sense of mystery pertaining to why the pair are on the journey, ‘Vulcanizadora’ chooses to slowly unveil its plans and delivers just enough information at a time to keep the viewer interested. It all eventually falls into place once the two men reach the edge of the woods and near a beach. With Derek having taken ‘one last swim’ and the two sitting on the beach, gorging on Swiss rolls and chips whilst getting high, all falls into place as they discuss honouring a suicide pact.

With Derek pouring his heart out to Marty about how his life has deteriorated to the point of not being able to see his son due to a sour divorce and having lost everything that matters to him in life, Marty unveils two head-fitted contraptions that will fit homemade explosives to their heads and effectively kill them. With Marty awaiting trial for arson, he admits his guilt and expects to be sentenced to prison for a long time, effectively losing his future.

With Derek losing his nerve, Marty desperately tries to walk Derek through how they will each light one another’s explosives only for Marty to light Derek’s, but Derek not being able to do the same for Marty. Burying Derek in a shallow grave on the beach, Marty is now at a loss and heartbroken about having survived. In an unexpected turn, Marty is also found not guilty of his crime and forgoes any custodial sentence.

Desperate about coming clean, Marty tries to go to the police, only to be turned away due to his past criminal record and being known as a bad character. Visiting with Derek’s young son, Marty hands him money and a letter written by Derek. Attempting to uncover Derek’s body, Marty fails to locate the shallow grave, only to awake on the beach with young children building sandcastles and chancing upon the remains. Feeling absolution, Marty walks off into the sea.

With Potrykus and Burge carrying the story on their shoulders, ‘Vulcanizadora’ screams low-budget minimalist art-house drama. With the use of multiple long shots of either too far away or uncomfortably close shots, the film explores a multitude of uncomfortable and complicated emotions. Showcasing Potrykus and Burge as two downtrodden losers that are at the end of their rope, the suicide pact gives the two drive and a sense of resolution. Not shying away from the dire situation, the film also manages to punch through a handful of unexpectedly humorous moments that work astonishingly well in such a bleak setting.

Best to be enjoyed without any prep work, ‘Vulcanizadora’ may test some people’s patience as it plays its cards close to the vest, yet the slow burn pays off once all of the pieces fall into place and develops into an absurd exploration of nihilism and unease as the two protagonists head off to honour a dark pact. An absolute trip with unexpected twists and turns, the heart of the story lies with Marty and Derek as their sad existence is explored and ended.

Score: 4/4