The Chumscrubber

Name: The Chumscrubber
Genre: Drama, Comedy
Released: August 5, 2005
Duration: 108 min
Rating: 41
Cast: Glenn Close, Jamie Bell, Ralph Fiennes, Rory Culkin

2005

METASCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 12 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 36 Ratings

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6.6

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6.6	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 36 Ratings

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The Chumscrubber

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Movie Details & Credits

Newmarket Films | Release Date: August 5, 2005 | R

Starring: Glenn Close, Jamie Bell, Ralph Fiennes, Rory Culkin

Summary: Richly layered and thematically provocative, The Chumscrubber renders a portrait of the fractured and fractious quality of life in American suburbia with crystalline precision. (Newmarket Films)

Director: Arie Posin

Genre(s): Drama, Comedy

Rating: R

Runtime: 108 min

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Metascore

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Critic Reviews

100

David Sterritt

At once dreamily surreal, acutely intelligent, and strikingly tough-minded, this pitch-dark dramatic comedy recalls David Lynch and "Donnie Darko" while remaining fresh and original to its core. A stunning directorial debut. Read full review

Shawn Levy

A frustrating combination of inspiration and routine, acuity and dullness, originality and fashion. Part web-of-life indie film, part troubled teen drama, part suburban satire, part comic book fantasy, it vacillates between the engaging and the silly, buoyed by energetic performances but pulled underwater by self-satisfied writing and direction. Read full review

Dallas Observer Luke Y. Thompson

Either a bit more humor or a bit more heart could exponentially improve things. Read full review

Sean Axmaker

The few genuine moments of connection -- are as refreshing as they are out of place. They only highlight how false and affected the rest of the film is. Read full review

Empire Olly Richards

A tragic waste of acting talent, with nothing new to say. Can we please now politely close the door on middle-class repression before we get really angry? Read full review

Scott Foundas

An insufferable, self-conscious cult movie, The Chumscrubber smugly heaps on half-baked ideas about media violence, the homogeneity of suburbia and the disintegration of the American family. Read full review

Scott Foundas

Shrill, smug would-be satire. Read full review

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User Reviews

DrewJ.

Jan 9, 2006

Comparisons to "Donnie Darko", the masterpiece starring Jake Gyllenhaal, are unavoidable, however, this movie stands on its own as a wonderfully unique commentary on the sad state of suburban American youth (excellent choice BTW, in choosing Valencia, CA for the location - I live in LA, but Comparisons to "Donnie Darko", the masterpiece starring Jake Gyllenhaal, are unavoidable, however, this movie stands on its own as a wonderfully unique commentary on the sad state of suburban American youth (excellent choice BTW, in choosing Valencia, CA for the location - I live in LA, but have never been up there - other than Magic Mountain (in the general vicinity, I believe) - but look up "mildly attractive suburban wasteland" in the dictionary, and I can't imagine a place capturing it more perfectly than Valencia). Excellent performances from people ranging from Glenn Close, Allison Janney, Rita Wilson (all three are HYSTERICAL!), Ralph Fiennes, Rory Culkin, numerous other recognizable faces, and - in the most pivotal role - Jamie Bell ("Billy Elliott"!! I never would have guessed! He's also in the current / 2005 5-hour "King Kong" re-make (won't be seeing that, but kudos to those who recognized his talent)) is wonderful, and one of the most gifted young actors out there. I'm shocked by the bad reviews from publications such as the LA Times ("Every adult in the movie is a caricature") - um, *THAT'S THE POINT*!!? / I'm pretty sure those characters are not meant to be taken seriously - satire, perhaps??!, but what can I say - the same new(?) critic praised the wonderful "Junebug", a mostly overlooked film with many characters one might also call "caricatures" (although, certainly not to the same extent - these are two very different movies, and the characters in "Junebug" are certainly more fully developed, but that's not really the point of "Chumscrubber"). Given the 2005 release of "Chumscrubber", I would hope to see it get nominations for the 2005 Independent Spirit Awards - in spite of - the, um - rather unfortunate title! And of course, to make matters worse, one month later "Thumbsucker" was released!? (Starring an actor from *"Chumscrubber"*?!) It's certainly not "mainstream" material, and thus I don't expect the Academy to recognize it / most members probably never even heard of it - so it's certainly "independent", but in a most splendid way. Is it "clumsy", "smug" *at times*, and not your typical studio formula picture...?? - yes! Please give me that over 99% of what Hollywood releases, and I'd be thrilled! And thank God the people at Christian Science Monitor got it! As for one publication calling it "shrill" and "smug", I can't decide if that's more hypocritical or laughable! Everyone has a right to their opinion of course - but I highly recommend this movie.… Expand

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NikkiL

Dec 3, 2007

What an amazing movie! much, much better than Donnie Darko. Such an interesting cast, it had alot to say about parent's ignorance of their children's lives. If I had one gripe about this movie is that it loses direction every so often.

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SoulExcuse

Mar 27, 2020

A cult classic. A dark exploration of affluent white culture and why mental illness happens.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

DawdlingPoet

Nov 27, 2021

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This is a film about teenage angst, about being ignored by your teenage peers in relation to one character and parents who barely acknowledge you, in relation to another. Its a dark comedy with some interesting angles. I don't think it'd appeal to everyone but for what it is, its not bad. I'd have liked to have learnt a bit more about one or two people and there is perhaps a little too much going on with the many sub-plots but its a relatively easy watch and its an alright film overall. Its an alright piece of social commentary certainly. Its partly about self absorption and keeping-up-with-the-jones'. It has quite an eery tone and if your very squeamish then I wouldn't recommend it due to an upsetting moment present (I won't go into details so as not to spoil it but its not the obvious one mentioned in the plot synopsis).

I wouldn't overly recommend it as such - its an ok film, maybe worth a watch if it comes on TV but otherwise I wouldn't go out of your way to see it as such.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

RobA

Mar 2, 2009

Its not a great movie, but there is worse. Horrible title.It is of course very cliche. Ralph Fiennes is ridiculously awful. Its tone is very scattered. The wasted potential only makes it worse.The video game angle is over the top. Thats the real problem....it can go from over the top to Its not a great movie, but there is worse. Horrible title.It is of course very cliche. Ralph Fiennes is ridiculously awful. Its tone is very scattered. The wasted potential only makes it worse.The video game angle is over the top. Thats the real problem....it can go from over the top to understated in seconds, which makes it muddled and draining.… Expand

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SethC.

Aug 27, 2007

Not only does it rip off nearly every "suburban dystopia" movie ever, it has the guts to pass itself off as groundbreaking and original. Not to mention the overbearingly smug tone throughout. It gets a point for the decent acting, but other than that it's pretentious (I rarely use that Not only does it rip off nearly every "suburban dystopia" movie ever, it has the guts to pass itself off as groundbreaking and original. Not to mention the overbearingly smug tone throughout. It gets a point for the decent acting, but other than that it's pretentious (I rarely use that term, but it fits PERFECTLY here), predictable, shoddily written and directed, and boring. I don't think I've disliked a movie as much as this in a while.… Expand

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kswiss

Nov 10, 2005

Drivel ripped off Donnie Darko and Donnie Darko sucked.

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