How to make an alien invasion movie with zero budget? Take notes from the cast and crew of the indie comedy Hanky Panky. First, trek with your funniest friends to a cabin in the woods. (Preferably in the midst of a blizzard!) Then, the film’s aliens will be a horny handkerchief/hand puppet and a killer hat on a string. That’s the recipe for Hanky Panky, co-directed by Lindsey Haun and Nick Roth, which plays like an evening with your favorite improv troupe. Some bits drag despite intending to amuse, but overall, you want these people to land their laughs and can’t help but wonder, “What will they think of next?”
The ensemble cast clearly has a blast embodying Hanky Panky‘s misfit characters, from a cult consisting solely of an incestuous pair of twins to Dr. Crane, who has two PhDs and a transatlantic lilt but works as a subpar bartender. Hanky Panky would play well in a group setting, with an audience of eager-to-laugh comedy fans.
A socially anxious expert in antique textiles, Sam (Jacob DeMonte-Finn), and his sleazy, mess-crazed, talking pocket handkerchief, Woody, pull up to a cabin in the mountains, where something is… Off. As the other guests start to arrive, Woody warns he has “a bad feeling about these freaks.”
Just how freakish are they? Well, there’s Carla (Christina Laskay) and Cliff (Anthony Rutowicz), a married couple who joke about creative ways to kill each other, their best friend Diane (Ashley Holliday Tavares), who giddily introduces herself with talk of light and love and oneness, Cliff’s pretentious brother Dr. Crane (co-director Roth) and his mysterious wife Lilith (Azure Parsons), creepy neighboring twins Rebecca (co-director Haun) and Norm (Toby Bryan), and last but not least, the peppy neighbor with a phony Southern twang, Kelly (Clare Grant). Sam – who was invited to the cabin on accident, wears a two-piece suit on a casual trip, and talks to his handkerchief – earns his status as the lead protagonist with his earnest demeanor and instant chemistry with Diane.
Tired of Woody’s constant nagging and lust for mess, Sam leaves the needy napkin in the cabin’s restroom. When Carla retreats from the dinner table that evening to take her meds, Woody asks for her help. Carla reveals to Sam that she can also hear Woody and they decide to leave because Kelly is clearly not who she says she is, plus Rebecca and Norm are acting shady about that night’s vague “ritual.” (Though the disturbing siblings assure their fellow guests they are “definitely not Mormons.”) But before the unlikely duo can find Diane and Cliff (who are tripping in an ice fishing shack) to escape from the cabin and surrounding woods, someone (or something) starts to kill off the house guests.
On the film's website, Haun and Roth cite improvisation-heavy comedies like Wet Hot American Summer and Caddyshack as their influences, but Hanky Panky feels like it could also be the legacy of the mumblecore comedies of the aughts and early '10s due to its low-budget, cast of friends, and seemingly spontaneous dialogue. Viewers will probably know from the first fifteen minutes whether Hanky Panky’s sense of humor aligns with their own.
If you’re not chuckling before the blood starts spurting, the vibe doesn’t significantly shift before the credits. The “talking accessories” bit outstays its welcome despite a brief runtime. (Though it’s worth it to stick around for Lindsey Haun’s final, skillfully funny scene as Rebecca.) Regardless, the performers and filmmakers behind Hanky Panky deliver a zany, fun film that feels familiar and would be at home programmed in an independent comedy screening series.
What kind of film series would Hanky Panky fit in?
Hanky Panky would fit into a film series consisting of independent, low-budget, or absurdist comedies. Its homegrown style would pair nicely with the Austin-made, indie comedy Make Popular Movies.
What unexpected responses do you think audiences would have to Hanky Panky?
Hanky Panky is likely to play best with an audience with a similar sense of humor to the filmmakers. So people might be rolling in the aisles, you might hear crickets, it just depends on the audience! Regardless, viewers will be pleasantly surprised by what the filmmakers accomplished with next to no budget.
Would Hanky Panky be suitable for an outdoor screening?
Hanky Panky would be so fun as an outdoor screening, preferably near a campground, though audiences should be limited to adults due to explicit dialogue and nudity.