Swiss Army Man

This absurdist fantasy stars Paul Dano as Hank, a shipwreck survivor stranded on a deserted beach. Abandoning all hope of rescue, Hank tries to hang himself, but then spies a corpse washing up on the sand—Manny (Daniel Radcliffe), who soon becomes Hank's confidante/best friend. Manny's flatulence initially annoys Hank, but he soon finds it useful—mounting Manny's back and letting the expelled gas propel them across the waves like a motorboat. This leads to other experiments in which Manny's inert body proves a useful tool to ignite fires, chop wood, fish, and hunt wild game. In Hank's delirious imagination, Manny talks with him about existentialist possibilities as they trek through the woods. Co-writers/directors Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert have created a darkly humorous, fart-filled, and strangely surreal film that offers a wildly imaginative rift on Cast Away—at least until it starts to feel gratingly irritating and contrived. Optional. (S. Granger)