Repo Man Review

To this day, it still amazes me how one film can capture an entire sub-culture and time period. Whilst Repo Man isn’t a wholly realistic interpretation of the time period given that there’s an alien lurking the streets in a Chevrolet Malibu, but the iconography of the punk era bleeds out of the screen in this directorial debut from Alex Cox. Its satirical jabs at consumerism and the era of Ronald Reagan set it out as more than just a black comedy, with Harry Dean Stanton and Emilio Estevez starring in what is ultimately a superb cult classic.  

Repo Man takes many of the 80s tropes and whittles them down into some more palatable moments. Estevez makes for a strong leading performer, grappling with the script well enough in his time on camera. Although he’s very much our leading man, it is, of course, Harry Dean Stanton that steals the spotlight away. Just like most of his other understated performances, Stanton brings that same conviction and wry confidence to the scene. Here it feels far more developed, and the prominence of his role here makes for yet another example of his talents within bigger roles. It’s a shame he didn’t receive more of them, but he makes for a great time in Repo Man.  

There are smart little nods to other plot points in the background from time to time. Otto driving past government agents as he talks of aliens, the Chevrolet shimmying its way across a bridge as hooded figures fix their van, hoping to track the very Chevrolet that just coasted away from them. It all culminates in such an incredibly suitable fashion, the build-up with these moments makes it all the more special for when these stories inevitably collide with one another towards the climax of the film. Repo Man builds its world in a rather basic, but charming way. Those little pieces in the background make the story feel layered, as if the various sub-plots are happening within a few blocks of each other, rather than sprawled out across vast landscapes. It gives the film an oddly charming, cosy feeling.  

A definitive look at the punk-era style and its application to sci-fi, Repo Man is disjointed, clunky, but one extremely enjoyable time. It exudes all the charms its iconography can bring, blending the arrogant attitudes, teen lifestyle and hard drinking of the time with a plot of a mysterious Chevrolet and potential alien presence. Harry Dean Stanton and Emilio Estevez make for an unlikely, yet wholly engaging pair as we see the two repo men repossess cars and get in over their heads within this 80s cult film.