Flapjax (FANTASTIC) Serves up Grating, Sci-fi Horror Comedy

Title: Flapjax

First Non-Festival Release: TBD

Director: Rocko Zevenbergen

Writer: Estevan Muñoz, Rocko Zevenbergen

Runtime: 98 Minutes

Starring: Gabriel Cagan, Georgia Kate Haege, Madeline Barbush

Where to Watch: Check out where to find it here

This film’s review was written after its screening at the Fantastic Film Festival in 2026.

Fast food has become a staple of American culture, for better or for worse. While it can be a convenient way to grab a quick bite, critics say there are too many negatives to relying on fast food. From a health standpoint or a financial one, moderation is key for indulging for yourself or for your family. What if it isn’t that simple? Fast food companies are incentivized to keep costs down, stretch their labor force to the brink, and keep track of trends in the food world to stay on top of the competition.

And that’s exactly what Arrow Bentley (Gabriel Cagan) intends to do as manager of his local Hamudders. A fast-food joint that sells the exact kind of abominations that would make a Victorian child faint, Arrow seeks to reverse the bad reputation that his employer has earned. To get everything back on track, they will be re-releasing their world-famous flapjacks, which they discontinued after some undisclosed issues arised. That isn’t Arrow’s business though. He needs to spend his time convincing his overbearing mother (Georgia Kate Haege) to return to the stage as the main performer for the product launch. As the team gets closer to the launch, Arrow learns just how wild the taste of flapjacks drives their customers.

A sickly-sweet sci-fi horror comedy that doesn’t have the sauce, Flapjax gets more grating the longer it cooks.

There’s plenty of directions to take this concept and Flapjax decides to take an approach that is equally The Stuff as it is Frankie Freako. There’s a certain charm that the film holds in its delightfully earnest approach to Arrow’s inner world. He is a bright, dedicated, and energetic man who only wants to do well at his job. Brought down by the world around him by those who don’t share his vision, it’s no wonder that Arrow chooses to devote all his time towards the store to the point where he sleeps in the walk-in. There’s dignity in how he approaches his work, even if the zaniness gets old fast.

And that’s the biggest issue Flapjax faces. Re-telling different shades of the same joke over and over again, the repetition makes it difficult to get behind the quirkier story elements. Characters are stretched beyond their limits to deliver rapidly diminishing comedic returns. There’s only so many times you can re-characterize a troubled mother-son relationship before the histrionics lose their luster. Furthermore, the lack of consistency in the characters leads to plenty of head scratching moments and a B-plot that doesn’t really go anywhere.

It’s in the pacing where Flapjax truly becomes interminable. Not only do the excess jokes weigh down the film, but most of its scenes go on far too long. Forgoing a sharper edit to smooth out some of the clunkier transitions and give the film a bit of kick to it, Flapjax lingers in almost every scene. It feeds into the repetitive jokes and silly goofy approach to humor while also giving the film at least three separate endings where it decided to keep going anwyway.

Flapjax isn’t outright terrible. Much care goes into bringing its gorier, gnarlier effects alive and, at times, the film succeeds in creating some wickedly cool goopy moments of horror. It’s a shame that the film doesn’t do much with the body horror of it all, as it is easily the film’s strongest component. Propelled by surface level commentary on capitalism and food safety, the body horror only shows up in the finale with middling results.

Much of the fun and horror of Flapjax falls down to one’s sense of humor. For those that appreciate Troma-like productions, there will be plenty to embrace. Those with a more traditional taste will be turned off by the zaniness and lack-of-focus. All with taste can appreciate the craftsmanship that goes into the practical effects and the humor borne from the lead vaguely looking like a certain divisive podcaster. Flapjax might not be to everyone’s taste but it’s certainly a meal you won’t want to miss out on if it’s fit to yours.

Overall Score? 4/10