You’ve seen “Onyx The Fortuitous” on Youtube where he hijacks news reports with his odd personality and motormouth. Now he is coming to the big screen with his full-length feature Onyx the Fortuitous and the Talisman of Souls, written, directed and starring Andrew Bowser, based on his internet-famous character also known as the “Weird Satanist Guy.” After a successful crowdfunding campaign to finance part of the production, the throwback horror comedy has been shown at Sundance, Glasgow FrightFest, and more recently, Fantasia Film Fest.
My first exposure to Onyx the Fortuitous was hearing his voice in the intro of Iron Reagan’s 12-second banger “Your Kid’s An Asshole”. Wanting to find the source of said sample, I stumbled upon his viral videos and wondered if this guy was for real and, if so, how did he manage to always be in the right place at the right time to get an interview? I later found out that those TV reports were faked. But seeing Bowser out of character at Fantasia (mostly due to the screenwriters’ and actors’ strike) gave me a new appreciation for this strange persona he created.
“…amazing practical effects […] brought to life with a combination of animatronics and puppetry”
Manchild Marcus (Andrew Bowser) has no friends, lives with his mom (played by horror queen Barbara Crampton, Jakob’s Wife) and works an unrewarding job at the local burger joint. But he aspires to become a powerful occult practitioner like his hero Bartok the Great (Jeffrey Combs, Re-Animator), and demands that his mother and co-workers refer to him as Onyx the Fortuitous, to no avail. Just when it seems like his life has hit its lowest point, Marcus wins an online contest to take part in a Satanic ritual led by Bartok himself.
Packing nothing but a lunchbox full of toys, Marcus travels to Bartok’s mansion, where he meets the other contest winners; tattoo artist Jesminder (Melanie Chandra, Lie Hard), suburban housewife Shelley (Arden Myrin, Satanic Panic), scholar Mr. Duke (Terrence Carson, Final Destination 2) and the laid-back Mackenzie (Rivkah Reyes, School of Rock).
Marcus is clearly the odd one out of the group. Little do they all know that the goateed, eye-patched Bartok has ulterior motives for the ritual, and the five participants are merely steppingstones in his quest for immortality. But Bartok’s psychic assistant Farrah (Olivia Taylor Dudley, Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension) senses a greater purpose for Marcus. Could he be the “fortuitous one” of which the prophecy has foretold?
“…how good could a film made by a Youtube micro-celebrity actually be? The answer, surprisingly very fun!”
I went into the movie with very low expectations. After all, how good could a film made by a Youtube micro-celebrity actually be? The answer is, surprisingly very fun! All the actors understood the assignment and were dialed into the film’s wacky tone by pulling faces and playing up their lines. And having Terrence Carson’s smooth-as-butter voice deciphering the ancient texts was perfect casting. The comedy hits its peak with a dream sequence in which Marcus imagines himself inside the music video for Meat Loaf’s “I’d Do Anything For Love (But I Won’t Do That),” which had the crowd howling with laughter and had me chuckling for hours after the credits rolled.
Fans of Bowser’s videos would be overjoyed to hear classic catchphrases like “Notice me, senpai,” but for those not familiar with the character of Onyx, this movie serves as a worthy introduction, complete with a backstory explaining why he acts that way. That being said, I know not everyone will find this film funny. There will no doubt be many viewers who find Marcus downright annoying, especially for his upward inflections and constant repetition of “I dunno.” Cringing is often the point of the punchlines, so it’s all a matter of how high your tolerance for cringe humor is.
“Hearkens back to the good ol’ movie methods of the ‘80s”
One thing that all viewers can agree on are the amazing practical effects. Demons and soulless ghouls are brought to life with a combination of animatronics and puppetry, hearkening back to the good ol’ movie methods of the ‘80s. Along with their brightly colored palette, the creatures take inspiration from such puppets of that decade like in Labyrinth, Gremlins and Beetlejuice. The fantasy is brought to another level with the wardrobe, from the ceremonial robes to Farrah’s punk rock look, and the prosthetic makeup reveals an inner beast within each character.
With its familiar zero-to-hero plot and cartoonish yet foul-mouthed humor, Onyx the Fortuitous and the Talisman of Souls is a charming and entertaining watch from beginning to end, definitely not what I was expecting for a movie built around a meme from seven years ago (which, considering meme culture, feels like ages ago). Andrew Bowser does have prior experience in front of and behind the camera, so it’s not like any internet celebrity would be able to pull off an achievement like this. Some things are meant to stay in the unholy realm of the internet.
“…a charming and entertaining watch [with a] familiar zero-to-hero plot and cartoonish yet foul-mouthed humor”
Andrew Bowser’s Onyx the Fortuitous and the Talisman of Souls had its Quebec premiere at this year’s Fantasia Film Festival. Click HERE to follow our continued coverage of the festival and let us know if you have a cringe tolerance over Twitter, Threads, or in the Nightmare on Film Street Discord! Not a social media fan? Get more horror delivered straight to your inbox by joining the Neighbourhood Watch Newsletter.
