Every once in a while an indie film comes along that’s so wonderful it’s destined to become a cult classic, the kind that used to play at midnight in old theaters with the box office in the foyer. Rufus could have been that film 40 years ago.
Thankfully, the miracle of streaming means you can set your own viewing schedule and Rufus should be added to your list. It’s a fun anthology horror movie that will be availble to stream on Nov. 25.
Canadian-American director Mars Roberge won Best Supernatural Feature at The New York Science Fiction and Horror Film Festival and Best Horror Film at the 34th Los Angeles IFS Film Festival (Independent Filmmakers Showcase), where it was also nominated for Best Film.
At the heart of the anthology is Rufus, played by legendary former drug kingpin turned motivational speaker Freeway Rick Ross. Living in South Central Los Angeles, Rufus entertains friends and children against his wife’s wishes by telling them five strange and disturbing stories. These tales, described by Roberge as explorations of body horror, range from a mortician working on the wrong night to a singer who discovers the rot beneath the entertainment industry, to unsettling visions of adoption, medical malpractice, and the human cost of war.
Each story is laced with bizarre imagery and biting social commentary, earning Rufus comparisons to The Twilight Zone, Creepshow, and Phantom of the Paradise.
“Rufus also stands for ‘Really Unusual F***ed Up Shit,’” explains Roberge. “It’s what he says after every story. He’s a man telling campfire-style tales from the hood, but he’s also a mirror for the strange realities we all wrestle with.”
Rufus will be avaioable to stream on Nov. 25.