Flapjax serves up campy commentaries on capitalism (Fantastic Fest 2026)
On day one of Fantastic Fest, I got to attend the midnight movie Flapjax. Flapjax follows a group of fast food employees, who, led by their overly ambitious manger, begin selling a controversial and alien item called "Flapjax". The film stars Gabriel Cagan (Bloods, Bringing Back Golden Eye), Madeline Barbush (Dope Girls, Dig a Pony), Estevan Munoz (I Need You Dead!, Zombie Cats from Mars), Georgia Kate Haege (Madame Secretary, Dispatches from Elsewhere), Daniel Berkley (The Events Surrounding Peeping Tom, The Walker Smith Experiment), Kaoru Koide (We Are Aliens, The Girls) and Takumi Mitobe (Those People, Something Sweet for Orphans). The film is directed by Rocko Zevenbergen with a script written by Zevenbergen and Estevan Munoz.
One of the film's strongest elements is the performances from the actors. Each of them bring a campy and hammed-up approach to their character that you can't help but love. This rings especially true for the film's star, Cagan, who plays the overly zealous fast food manager Arrow. His almost cartoonish demeanor is as charming as it is at times somewhat pathetic, with practically every line delivery matching the films campy tone. Barbush's character Louie serves as the only real voice of reason amongst the films zany and outlandish characters. Barbush carries that weight perfectly and adds a particularly charming on-screen chemistry with Cagan. Another standout performance in the film comes from Haege, who plays Arrow's overbearing mother and former one hit wonder pop star. Her performance as a grating and nagging mother is so wonderfully exhausting, yet her charm makes it so you almost can't look away.
After the film's long winded opening showcases that the Hamudder's specialty item was a dud, Arrow comes up with a plan to begin reselling a banned menu item known as "flapjax." He soon finds himself in over his head when he gains the attention of the Hamudder's CEO, an actual grotesque looking man-pig hybrid who pushes for more sales of the deadly delicacy. Flapjax wears its campiness on its sleeve without apology, and fans of trash cinema and cult classic schlock might take to it on the sheer silliness of it alone.
Another one of the film's strong suits is its commitment to gross out body horror. This aspect is on full display in the second half of the film. The third act in particular is chalk full of eye-popping and disgusting set pieces all made practically. It's a tried-and-true, labor of love film that takes it to Troma levels of fun (it was revealed in the post film Q&A that Zevenbergen was a student of Troma and worked as Lloyd Kaufman's assistant for a number of years).
However, despite the film's silly and campy decorum, it still provides a timely and scathing commentary on capitalism, with Cagan's character acting as a cautionary tale on surrounding your whole existence around your 9-5.
Overall, if you're looking for some schlocky indie fun, try Flapjax. It's an aggressively vibrant and campy romp that I can see being a cult classic in the coming years.
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