Tummy Monster

Lorn Macdonald (Beats) stars as egocentric tattoo artist Tales in Glasgow-based writer-director Ciaran Lyons’s hypnotic psychological thriller Tummy Monster. Coated in grungy neon light, the movie opens with Tales sitting in his tattoo parlour in the middle of the night when he receives a phone call from a man named Truth (Michael Akinsilure). He represents a major popstar (Orlando Norman) who wants to get one of his tattoos. Tales sees this as his chance to prove that he’s more than the disastrous mess his life has become. However, when his request for a selfie is refused, the pair enter a psychological battle of wills, which begins to have a catastrophic impact on Tales’s life.

“Rub your tummy or I’ll think you’re an asshole,” is the challenge given to the tattooist that will grant him the photo opportunity if he obeys. At first, the childish request is seen as a joke, but the longer it goes on the more intense things become. Macdonald is incredible in the starring role. The ordeal comes close to bringing Tales to his breaking point several times, with the actor hitting every visceral beat as panic and desperation begin to take over. Conversely, Norman’s unflappable cool demeanour acts as the perfect balance to the chaos he unleashes.

The continuous repetition of the musician’s strange command makes for a dizzying and surreal experience. While hearing the same line continuously is grating at first, the filmmaker’s directorial debut soon transcends into an otherworldly dreamscape, contained within the confines of a dingily lit shop. The result is an intoxicating atmosphere that’s laced with bubble-gum vape and death metal.

As the game wears on, viewers learn more about Tales’s complicated personal life. With each new snippet of information, the script travels further down a darker path that places the character in a tragic new light. It doesn’t take long for it to become clear that this game won’t end well for Tales, and Lyon carefully raises the stakes until the flick reaches its gut-punch of a conclusion. No matter how dire Tales’s situation gets, Lyon injects a playfully dark humour into the script, ending the film on a fittingly offbeat punchline.

Fronted by a solid performance from Macdonald, Tummy Monster is a delirious and delightful outing, which marks a mesmerising directorial debut from Lyons.

Andrew Murray

Tummy Monster does not have a UK release date yet.

Read more reviews from our Glasgow Film Festival 2024 coverage here.

For further information about the event visit the Glasgow Film Festival website here.

Watch the trailer for Tummy Monster here: