There are movies, and there are movies, and then there are the wild and experimental films that use the cinematic form to tell a story in a way that only filmmaking can. Buffet Infinity is one of this third type. Set in a small town in Alberta, Canada, Buffet Infinity plays out as a series of local news clips and television advertisements for local businesses that slowly but surely become more and more interrelated, surreal, and downright messed up as the film progresses. It is part black comedy, part crime story, and part eldritch existential cosmic horror.
There are several recurring ads. In one series for an insurance company, a woman’s life comes more and more off the rails—a local lawyer comments on the types of cases that are going around right now. Local electronics shop owners are coming up with new gimmicks. Jenny, a local sandwich shop owner, becomes increasingly adversarial with the titular all-you-can-eat buffet. Oh, and also there’s a strange noise that may or may not be in your head, a sinkhole in the parking lot that keeps expanding, people going missing in greater and greater numbers, and a religious cult leader doing cult leader things.
Buffet Infinity is, to put it mildly, chaotic. The VHS on which it appears to be recorded seems to have been recorded over several times. There are tracking issues and distortion, all of which heighten just how surreal the whole exercise is. This is the kind of movie that will at first seem nonsensical, but eventually will have you upright and unblinking as you search every frame and re-listen to every line of ad copy looking for clues as to what is going on, and there is a lot of detail to notice.
The downside of something like Buffet Infinity is that it is not very approachable. This isn’t the kind of movie that just anyone can throw on, as so many will likely bounce off its lack of a traditional narrative, structure, or characters. On a related note, at 111 minutes long, the film may also wear out its welcome for viewers, too. Those who do stick with it, though, will find something fascinating and incredibly compelling.
It’s difficult to say who exactly Buffet Infinity is for. It is deeply weird and off-putting, but that’s the point. Weird and off-putting as it may be, it’s also one of the most unique and singular works for cinema you are likely to see this year (or any other) and that alone makes it worth the cost of a ticket.
Just be prepared for things to get super weird and cosmically horrifying.
Buffet Infinity recently screened at the Fantasia International Film Festival.
Learn more about the film at the Fantasia site for the title.
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