Repo! The Genetic Opera (2008) is a film that is only known to those who are long time fans of the Horror genre, or are active TikTok users. I was one of the later. Repo is a Horror, Comedy, Musical, Scifi film. A very strange mixture of genres that seem like a recipe for disaster. The world is set in the not so distant future, where an epidemic of organ failure has overtake the planet. People are dying left and right, but a savior arises. Gene Co., a company that specializes in growing organs and and giving people life saving transplants, gains a monopoly over the world. As necessity turns into cosmetic, the world is obsessed with cosmetic surgery. Soon enough the owner of Gene Co., Rotti Largo, lobbies a bill through Congress which makes organ repossessions legal. So now the world fears that if they do not pay of their organ bills they will get a visit from the dreaded Repo Man. The Setting that is created is something that many would expect to read about in a comic book. It would be difficult to execute on the small budget provided to the film team, however, it was perfectly set up by the crew. Everything stayed perfectly balanced on the edge of reality and disbelief.

One unique aspect of the film is that it’s true to it’s title. Repo is an an opera that is has been completely dissected and put back together in a new way. There are only two or three moments where the characters are not singing their dialogue throughout the almost two hour long run time. One of the most popular songs is called Zydrate Anatomy. It is about how a drug called Zydrate, an incredibly strong pain killer taken from the body of the dead, and gives exposition to the main character for the future. It is an incredibly catchy song and it the reason why the film has had a sudden resurgence in popularity. On the app TikTok, a trend has gone around of people making videos to the chorus of the song. Introducing a new generation of fans to the film. This does not contribute to its already well established cult status however, as the sheer uniqueness of the film gained it a following before it was officially released.

Overall I think Repo is definitely worth a watch if you are looking for something bizarre and catchy. It is only this film that can have a song called Legal Assassin where the character goes from dancing with his helmet in his hand to puppeting a corpse by shoving his hand up it’s open sternum. If I were to give this film a rating it would be an 8/10, the only deduction coming from the dreadful acting of Paris Hilton. I recommend this film to everyone who can look past excessive gore and Paris Hilton walking around in a dress with colored cotton balls plastered all over it.