Heading into something like Dicks: The Musical, you think you know what you’re getting into. Well, take whatever insanity and chaos you’re expecting and multiply it tenfold. Even the first ten minutes of Dicks: The Musical had my jaw dropped and the audience in stitches. This is a film that is so utterly ridiculous, over the top and downright offensive that it is hilarious. If you like completely out-there, shocking comedy, you absolutely have to see Dicks: The Musical, even just once.
Dicks: The Musical starts off with incredible comedic timing from actors and writers Aaron Jackson (Trevor) and Josh Sharp (Craig). The two performed this as a two-man stage play, and after seeing the film with Nathan Lane as Harris, Megan Mullally as Evelyn, Bowen Yang as God, and Megan Thee Stallion as Gloria, I am incredibly intrigued as to how it works on stage. At the end of the film, there are clips from the play, and it looks wackier than I could have imagined.
Let’s be clear, though, Dicks: The Musical is incredibly offensive. If they aren’t singing about incest or no means yes, or quite literally, dicks, they are talking about graphic sex and vaginas falling off. You heard me. Every time you think they have gone as far as they can go, they prove you wrong. Oh, and God is super gay, by the way, and I’m here for it.
“If you like completely out-there, shocking comedy, you absolutely have to see Dicks: The Musical, even just once.”
Jackson and Sharp are absolutely hilarious, myself being a particular fan of Trevor in the film. Their physicality and dedication to being completely awful human beings are quite literally what makes the film, with them even outshining Mullally and Lane. They both belt every number like their lives depend on it, and there is never a moment that feels phoned in. Dicks: The Musical plays to its ridiculousness and camp and never pulls a punch.
On the topic of insanity, I bring up the Sewer Boys. My note was, “I don’t know how this got made, and I don’t know if I’m glad that it did.” Dicks: The Musical is not at all landed in reality, but I think that is part of its charm. I likened it to how The Rocky Horror Picture Show affected people when it was released. People were shocked, but today, it’s a cult classic.
There will be a select audience who sees this once, loves it and moves on. But there will also be the group that sees it, loves it, and makes it part of their quirky identity, and this group will be filled with the girls, gays and theys.
Megan Mullally and Nathan Lane were definitely the draw to Dicks: The Musical, but surprisingly, they weren’t the strongest point of the film. There were moments where I felt Mullally’s accent would distract and almost be too much, especially given how much was already going on. Lane played exactly who I thought he would. But these two heavy hitters really left room for our writers-turned-actors to shine, and Jackson and Sharp did just that.
I have to say, the songs in Dicks: The Musical are extremely catchy. Obviously, for a musical, this is important. However, when you think about what the songs are about, from a viewer’s standpoint, this might be problematic. Go ahead and enjoy them while you’re watching the film, but I don’t recommend belting out All Love Is Love on the street. When you hear it, you’ll know why.
“Dicks: The Musical plays to its ridiculousness and camp and never pulls a punch.”
I also want to touch on props and set design, too, as they seemed to capture the perfect balance of film and stage. I still can’t make sense of the Sewer Boys or how they ended up looking like that, but the homes of Evelyn and Harris were so decked out in whimsical knickknacks, and it perfectly set the stage for who these characters were. The office where Megan Thee Stallion spent her time was cold and open but felt like the perfect set you’d see on a stage, allowing for plenty of dance numbers.
Unfortunately, Megan Thee Stallion was probably the weakest part of Dicks: The Musical for me. I’d gauge that she was playing exactly what they wanted, but her hardened exterior felt forced. Bowen Yang’s God was exactly as sassy and blunt as I expected a gay God to be, and the costumes for the character were perfectly tuned to the vibe.
Now, would Dicks: The Musical be something that I recommend at the next family movie night? No, definitely, absolutely, positively not. Will it be something I suggest for the next girls’ night with a couple of glasses of wine? Without a doubt, Dicks: The Musical is a wild ride for those willing to take it, and viewers will find themselves saying, “What is happening?” more than once. The film was a blast and a perfect entry for TIFF 2023’s Midnight Madness.
