The New Tenants (2009)

Written by CinemaSerf on March 22, 2024

"Peter" (Jamie Harrold) and "Frank" (David Rakoff) are having one of those love/hate conversations in their new apartment when an elderly neighbour arrives asking for some flour. They've barely unpacked, but "Peter" finds some in the apartment that belonged to the previous occupant - whom we learn came to a sticky end! Settling down to some of the deceased man's potato chips, another visitor descends on them. He's "Jan" (Vincent D'Onofrio) who reckons that someone has been having it away with his wife! Maybe he's not the most deductively astute man? Anyway, he stays for a fairly surreal chat before the arrival of their third visitor. "Zelko" (Kevin Corrigan) introduces an whole new level of comedy menace to the proceedings and by now, maybe the guys had wished they'd set up home in Folsom Prison! I didn't love the tightly photographed (eyes only) monologue at the start, but as this builds up an head of steam it turns into quite an amusing black comedy that's just a little suitably brutal at the end. It even teaches us how to make cinnamon buns, too!